


The World's Toughest Race

by PoemAboutCitylights



Category: Formula 1 RPF, World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji (TV Show)
Genre: (for some), Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Humour, Hurt/Comfort, Internalized Homophobia, Jos Verstappen's A+ Parenting, M/M, Survival, adventure racing, brocedes being brocedes, drivers for charity, this is inspired by Bear Grylls' "Eco Challenge" / "World's Toughest Race" on amazon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:54:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 74,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26543248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoemAboutCitylights/pseuds/PoemAboutCitylights
Summary: “This is an expedition with a stopwatch… and the clock is always ticking.”“If they sleep, they lose time,” Jenson comments, “if they make mistakes, if they get lost…”Another image is flashing up, this time showing a man from behind, who’s screaming “We’re lost!” in a French accent.The next second, the camera is back on Jenson Button and Toto Wolff.“If they fall behind and miss the cutoff time… their race is over.”***7 teams made of 15 current or former Formula 1 drivers assemble in Fiji to compete in the World's Toughest Race.It isn't called that for no reason.
Relationships: Alexander Albon/Lando Norris/George Russell, Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen, Lance Stroll/Daniil Kvyat, Lewis Hamilton/Nico Rosberg, Nico Hulkenberg/Kevin Magnussen, Pierre Gasly/Charles Leclerc, Sebastian Vettel/Kimi Räikkönen (platonic), Secret Pairing
Comments: 164
Kudos: 423





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So. Where do I begin.  
> This fic needs a bit of an introduction. 
> 
> I was inspired to write this fic by the beautiful, BEAUTIFUL Bake Off Story by @simplyverstappened, which made me want to write a fic about drivers competing in a TV show as well.  
> I am currently watching the "Eco-Challenge" / "World's Toughest Race" on Amazon prime and I highly recommend giving it a try before or while reading this story, it will make the whole concept a bit clearer, I think. 
> 
> But just to give a bit of an instruction: Adventure racing "typically a multidisciplinary team sport involving navigation over an unmarked wilderness course with races extending anywhere from two hours up to two weeks in length. Some races offer solo competition as well. The principal disciplines in adventure racing include trekking, mountain biking, and paddling although races can incorporate a multitude of other disciplines including climbing, abseiling, horse riding, skiing and white water rafting."
> 
> That's what Wikipedia says, at least.  
> I've tried to explain the mode of the race as best as I could in the story and I hope it's understandable for the reader. 
> 
> I also have to say that this is the first time that I'm writing about the "younger" ships, so please bear with me haha
> 
> I now hope you'll enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it xx

**Chapter 1**

**Day 1, hours before the start of the race  
** **Position: Fiji** **  
**

* * *

„I’m Jenson Button. Welcome to Fiji. And this year’s Eco challenge adventure race. The world’s toughest race.”  
The former Formula 1 driver grins into the camera after his last sentence, from where he is sitting at one side of an opened helicopter flying over the islands of Fiji.  
The camera then opens the frame to the infinite-seeming jungle underneath them, a rich green which is replaced by the vibrant colour of the South Pacific in the distance.  
“Below me, in every direction, is some of the toughest, most rugged, most dangerous terrain in all the world,” Jenson continues, his voice calm despite the spectaculars manoeuvres of the helicopter, “Steep mountains, sheer cliffs, treacherous rivers and miles and miles of dense tropical jungle. Eco challenge was a yearly event that spawned the world wide adventure challenge phenomenon.”  
Jenson opens up his arms, as if he’s preparing the viewers for another Formula 1 race.  
“And now, it has returned, bigger and more punishing than ever before.”

The next shot shows a camp with a couple of tents somewhere up high on a mountain, before it quickly switches to dirty mountain bikes speeding down a muddy slope. The imagines filmed with a drone then follow a raft down a river, before it shoots up just a millisecond before a waterfall eats up the raft, pulling it down for metres and metres.  
“Seven teams from 11 different countries have descended on Fiji to compete in this iconic race. Traditionally, Eco-races see different ranges, from rookie-teams to elite-groups.”

The camera now shifts to the other person sitting on the other side of the helicopter, wearing earphones and a microphone just like Jenson.  
“Teams will travel 500 kilometres over the next 10 days,” Toto Wolff explains in his slight Austrian accent, nodding along to his words.  
“Each day will present a new array of relentless challenges, designed to break them down physically, mentally and emotionally,” Jenson Button has taken over again and his voice has now gotten a dramatic undertone.  
  
For a split second, the images of a man who is panting heavily, with his head between his knees, appears on screen, before the camera is back on Toto and Jenson.  
“They’ll endure some of the most extreme conditions they have ever encountered. Along the way, they will pass through 15 checkpoints and locate four hidden medallions.”  
Jenson looks over at Toto Wolff for him to continue.  
The Mercedes team chef takes over from there, “This is an expedition with a stopwatch… and the clock is always ticking.”  
“If they sleep, they lose time,” Jenson comments, “if they make mistakes, if they get lost…”  
  
Another image is flashing up, this time showing a man from behind, who’s screaming “We’re lost!” in a French accent.  
The next second, the camera is back on Jenson Button and Toto Wolff.  
“If they fall behind and miss the cutoff time… their race is over.”

One more flashing forward frame appears, shot from a drone that is catching the words of a blond man holding onto a rock.  
“I don’t mind climbing, I mind dying!”

Jenson Button claps his hands together, excitement showing on his face, “And they must do all of that without the help of modern technology. Relying only on their wits, their experience, and each other.”  
Toto splits the slightest of grins at the word _experience_.  
“But no matter what,” the Austrian adds, “all of them are going to suffer.”  
Jenson rubs his hands together, straightening his white button down shirt that he is wearing over grey trekking pants.  
“This is the World’s Toughest Race. The eco-challenges usually sees elite teams, who have battled each other all around the globe. We have seen competitors with an impressive record of 50 iron mans in 50 days in 50 different states. We have seen ex-marines and ultra-marathon runners dropping out after just a few days,” Jenson’s face has gotten a more serious expression, before a smirk creeps up on his lips, “it’s a pity we’ve only managed to find a bunch of Formula 1 drivers for this year’s Eco-Challenge.”

__

Jenson and Toto are now standing up on a wooden stage that has been set up on a beach, with palm trees and the jungle to the right and the open South Pacific Ocean to the left. They are standing in front of a giant map, which is coloured in different shades and highlighted in different colours, while Christian Horner and other crew members are standing in the background, with their hands behind their backs.  
A small crowd has gathered in front of the stage and the camera quickly shoots over it, resting on a broadly-grinning Daniel Ricciardo for a second before it moves on to Charles Leclerc, who is watching the guys up on stage with a deep frown on his face.

Jenson Button clears his throat, “The World’s Toughest Race is about to begin. We have 503 kilometres of mountains, jungles, rivers, ocean and swamp. And it is brutal.”  
“Remember the keys to your success here,” Toto Wolff continues and it’s evident that he has memorised the words he is supposed to say by heart, although he stumbles over his own words a bit, “Number one: You’ve got to respect the wild. Do not underestimate the distances.”

The camera briefly shows Kimi Räikkönen and his absolutely unbothered facial expression.

“Number two: Embrace the hurting. You’re going to get blisters. Blisters heal. Get over it,” Jenson continues and Charles Leclerc lets out a long sigh, before he crosses his arms in front of his chest.

“Number three,” Toto takes over, “in the World’s Toughest Race, we never leave a team member behind. If one of your team gives up, gets injured, the whole team is out.”

Jenson nods conscientious, before his eyes start scanning the assembled drivers with a smirk playing on his lips.  
“Speaking of the teams that have assembled here to raise money for the FIA Charity fund; let’s get to know them, shall we?”

__

“What do you think of getting teamed up with Daniel?” a crew member asks Max Verstappen from behind the camera.  
The Dutchman shrugs his shoulders, shooting his former teammate at Red Bull Racing a sideway glance.  
“I think we make a decent team.”

“What do you think about it, Dan?”  
The Aussie replies before the question has fully left the interviewer’s mouth, excitement dripping from his words.  
“I think it’s super rad that we’re here, competing. The nature, survival-stuff, barbeques…” he shows his dazzlingly white teeth in a broad grin, “it’s my thing, ya know.”

“Did you two do anything to prepare yourself for the challenge?”  
Daniel and Max look at each other for a second, before the older driver eventually shrugs his shoulders almost apologetically.  
“Not really, I guess. It’s not like we’ve got that much time on our hands to get super prepared, right?”

“Do you think it’s an advantage that you know each other so well?”  
“Sure!” Daniel quickly replies, nudging Max Verstappen’s side with his hip.  
The younger driver gives the camera a brief smile.

__

“What do you think about your pair-up?”

“Could be worse, no?” Charles Leclerc answers and claps Pierre Gasly’s back. The Frenchman rolls his eyes at the other man’s words.

“Are you looking forward to the race?”

“Ehm,” Charles starts, shrugging his shoulders, “I’m looking forward to winning.”  
Pierre Gasly raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything.

__

“Do you guys think you make a winning combination?”

There is silence after the question and the interviewer clears his throat, while both Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton have crossed their arms in front of their chests, turned away from each other.

“Nico, do you think having a six-times-world champion by your side will enhance your chances to win this race?”  
The German runs a hand through his blonde hair, “You know, I was a boy-scout when I was younger. Not for long, but I’ve been to a summer camp once and I think I’ve got some pretty useful skills myself.”  
Lewis snorts at that and Nico shoots his former teammate a dark glance.

“What about you, Lewis? Do you believe a healthy amount of rivalry could get both of you on your best level?”  
  
“You know, actually, I think these races are all about teamwork. An individual cannot win this race, guys. It’s just like on track; the driver may bring the points home, but it’s always the achievement of the whole team.”  
“Funny you say that.”  
“O…kay?” the interviewer says, while Lewis is about to keep going.  
“So while I know that if I stay focused and keep my head down, I can give my best to finish this race first, no matter who is by my side, I would have preferred a team mate you can at least trust.”

__

“Seb. Kimi. You’re the oldest – if I may point that out – team to compete in this race. Is that a disadvantage?”  
Sebastian is quick to shake his head, “Not at all. It just means we’re more experienced, right? We know how to focus on the tasks ahead and not get distracted.”  
The Ferrari driver grins, “I mean, most of the younger guys will have serious withdrawal symptoms after at least a couple of hours without their phones and social media.”

“What are your thoughts on this, Kimi?”  
“Bwoah,” the Finn makes, “what Seb’s said.”

__

“Lance. Daniil. Was it a surprise to you that you were teamed up for this race?”  
“Definitely,” Lance answers, looking over at his Russian teammate.  
“Yeah, we don’t really know each other,” Daniil says in a low voice, the glance he’s sending the Canadian Racing Point driver almost a bit shy.

“We can promise the Eco-challenge is a bonding-experience like no other!”  
“I’m sure it is,” Lance says and smiles openly, while Daniil twists his fingers where the camera can’t see them, looking uncomfortable.

__

“So, George, Lando and Alex. You’re definitely our most special team of this year’s race.”  
The three young drivers grin at each other, while they’re basically joined by the hips.  
“We’ve had to check the rules several times and eventually decided to make an exception to the two-teammembers-rule for you guys.”

“Three members means double the fun,” Lando comments cheerily, his arm loosely resting around Alex’s back. George pinches the bridge of his nose with his fingers, “That’s not maths, Lando.”  
The youngest of the pack rolls his eyes behind the William’s back and earns himself a smack to the head by Alex for it.

The interviewer chuckles softly.

“Do you think the rest of the teams are underestimating you because of your age? And who do you think will be the toughest opponents?”

“First of all, I think all of us have an advantage against the rest of the teams because we need less sleep. We’re used to running on just a few hours or none at all,” Lando says and Alex just grins.

“I think Sebastian and Kimi will do well. They’re the oldest but I think Seb knows how to navigate and Kimi’s from Finland,” Alex says, as if that explains it all, and shrugs.

“What about the rest of the teams?” the interviewer asks and George thinks about the question.  
“Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen shouldn’t be much of a problem, to be honest. They’ll be at each other’s throats within a few hours.”  
“I don’t think they’ll make it this far,” Alex chimes in and Lando laughs at his teammate’s comment.  
  
“Hamilton and Rosberg will be a real challenge, I think,” George contemplates and the interviewer seems surprised by that, probably because of their interview.  
“Oh?”

The Mercedes junior driver nods, “I think once they’ve figured out how to move past their rivalry, they’ll be very efficient. They’re both very smart and know how to fight.”  
“And they know each other very well,” Lando adds for consideration.  
Alex nods along, “Yeah, I think we shouldn’t write them off too early.”

__

“So, guys. Are you happy to get the chance to compete in the World’s Toughest Race?”

“No,” Hülkenberg says.  
“Absolutely not,” Kevin Magnussen mumbles through gritted teeth.  
The interviewer just sighs.

“I think all of this is bullshit,” Kevin adds, after a minute of silence. He’s making a gesture that includes their surroundings.  
“If I wanted to spend time on a tropical island, I would’ve brought a pretty girl and beer. Not this one,” his thumb points at Nico Hülkenberg, who is standing a few feet away from him with his lips pressed together.  
“Same, mate,” he groans and falls silent again.

The interviewer coughs softly, “What do you think about the other teams?”

“Whoever’s on a team with Ricciardo will win this,” Kevin says firmly.  
“Max is,” Nico comments and the Dane looks over for a second.  
“’course.”

“What makes you believe that?”  
The Haas driver shrugs, “Ricciardo’s the outdoor type. He’ll get on.”

“What do you think about the team Stroll-Kvyat? They haven’t been mentioned by anyone before.”  
“Didn’t even know they’re here,” Hülkenberg comments ironically and Magnussen rolls his eyes.

“They won’t stand a chance. Kvyat not the winning type and come on, we all know why Stroll is even here,” Kevin shakes his head and the interviewer hesitantly thanks them for their time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo, here we are. 
> 
> I'd be forever grateful if you'd let me know what you think of this first chapter and our different teams.  
> Who do you expect to win this and why?  
> I'd love to hear. 
> 
> Kudos would be very appreciated as well :)
> 
> And if you've got some time on your hands, feel free to check out my other story "Bottled Up", which I'm currently uploading. 
> 
> Cheers xx  
> Johanna


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter two is here and I've grown a bit obsessed with this story, writing 22k words in just a couple of days... and we're not anywhere near the finish line yet.   
> Enjoy!

**Chapter 2**

After they’ve done the interviews, the crew tells them to assemble in front of the stage again, where they are handed their equipment.   
Each team receives two – respectively three – hiking backpacks, which contents are spread out in the grass.   
There are a pair of waterproof boots, water bottles, sunglasses, sunscreen, several packages of dried food and energy bars, as well as several items of clothing.   
Trekking pants, which can be unzipped right above the knee, a thin rain jacket, functional wear such as two shirts and underwear.   
Laying in the grass are moreover head torches, one compass as well as one map per team, and some more things that are packed up in small bags.

“Who will be carrying all this?” Charles asks, picking up his bag pack to put his water bottle and some food inside, while he lets the rest of the equipment on the grass.  
Pierre looks at him incredulously and shakes his head slowly.   
“You, Charles. You.”  
“Me?” the Monegasque’s eyes widen, and his mouth forms a shocked circle.  
“You’re kidding,” he says and Pierre would have laughed if it wasn’t so sad. They won’t stand a chance.

The camera shows Lewis Hamilton, who has already finished packing up his things, and is now watching Nico Rosberg carefully folding his clothes each time the German is turning his back on him. There’s a bottle in the grass, which Nico seems to overlook, and Lewis watches the scene for a few seconds before he eventually brings himself to point it out to the German.

__

“Think you’re ready to do this?” Jenson asks, in a clerk-of-the-course mentality, and he obviously expects cheering or something alike.  
All he gets from the drivers is affirmative nodding.  
Except from Ricciardo, who’s whistling from the back.   
Toto Wolff let’s out a sigh.

“Okay, we’re gonna get you on a boat!” Jenson exclaims and the camera shows Max Verstappen turning towards Daniel in shock.

“A boat?” he whispers and Daniel’s gaze tells him to shut up and listen.

“Stroll over here knows boats, I’ve heard!” Magnussen yells and all heads turn into Lance’s direction, who tries to ignore it and keep his gaze locked on Jenson and Toto on the stage.  
Daniil next to him is shuffling his feet on the ground.

__

Seven boats, one for each team of the Eco-race, are waiting by a river in the jungle nearby.   
The crew is waiting by the shore, while the teams are trying to find the boat that is reserved for them. They are small and traditional, barely having space for more than two people, which means that the triple team will definitely struggle more than the rest.   
The wooden boats are equipped with sailings and masts, as well as paddles.

“Okay guys, it’s important to listen closely to what Toto will explain to you now,” Jenson says and already knows that most of the driver of course won’t be doing just that, as they were instructed by the crew ahead of the start of filming, anyway.  
But Toto is explaining it still, mainly for the spectators, so he is directly speaking into the camera now.

“This Eco-Challenge is lasting 10 days and it is divided into 5 legs. The first 4 stages of the race are divided into 3 checkpoints. At the checkpoints, you can refill your water bottles and your food storages and receive medical care if necessary.”

The camera shows Daniil nervously biting on his lip, before it is back on the Mercedes boss.

“At the end of each leg of the race, so after 3 checkpoints, you will find Camp 1, 2, 3 and so on. At the camps, you may rest and get some hours of sleep – if needed. Since this Eco-Challenge is also a race against time, you will have to reach each camp, at the end of every leg, in a certain amount of time. Those teams that fall behind and don’t reach the camps before time runs out are forced to withdraw from the race.”

Toto looks over the teams and his gaze comes to rest on his former driver-duo Lewis and Nico. While Nico is fiddling with his backpack, the Austrian catches Lewis’ gaze and raises an eyebrow at him. He isn’t sure what it is he is trying to convey, but there is now a frown on the Brit’s face.  
Toto suppresses another sigh.

__

Jenson claps his hands together, excitement lighting up his bright eyes.  
“There are two things I’m certain of,” he declares, looking over the field of 15 athletes, “first; not everyone will finish this race. Second; some real heroes are going to emerge… and they’re probably the unlikely ones.”

**Day 1, 10:00, Basecamp**

* * *

__

“Hey,” Charles calls out to Sebastian, who’s bend over a map together with Kimi, the two of them occupying the boat next to the other driver and Pierre.  
The Monegasque snatches their own map from the Frenchman’s hands and holds it up, waving it in the air.  
“Any idea where we have to go?” he asks Sebastian and Kimi turns around with a low growl.

“This is a competition,” the Fin says, before Sebastian would have been able to say anything. His German teammate lets out a soft laugh at that, his palm coming to rest against the Fin’s chest. Kimi stares down at the hand and then back at Sebastian.  
“What?”  
Sebastian rolls his eyes, now fully turning to Pierre and Charles.  
“Here, we can try to figure it out together,” the German says and the younger Ferrari driver’s eyes light up. Pierre looks unpleased but doesn’t say anything, while Kimi just shakes his head in disbelief.

  
__

Daniel is holding the map up while Max is looking over his shoulder, standing behind the Australian at ease. His eyes are following Dan’s fingers that are tracing the over the map to the first checkpoint, which is marked with “C1”.  
“How long will it take?” the Dutch asks and Daniel tilts his head.   
“A couple of hours at least,” the older one replies and Max lets out a breath.  
“Sounds tough,” he comments and Dan turns his head, their faces in close distance to each other.  
“I’m sure this is as easy as it will get. But it will be fun, I promise.”  
Max smiles at his former teammate’s words.  
“At least I was teamed with you,” the Red Bull admits and Dan grins back at him, leaning against the younger one’s shoulder for a second.   
The camera catches the hint of a blush on Max’s cheeks.

  
__

“Wait, what are you doing?” Nico asks, while Lewis is already pushing their small boat further out on the river.   
“I’m starting.”  
“ _You’re_ starting?” Nico echoes, a hand on his hip, while Lewis is glaring at him.  
“Yes, I’ve figured out the fastest route. As you could see.”

The Brit had laid out their map at the bow of the boat, before he had checked the wind and the altitude of the sun.  
There isn’t much communication between them and Nico is sure that’s what everyone is expecting of them, anyway, but it makes him mad still.   
  
“Are you coming or not?” Lewis is impatient, as he always is, and Nico closes his eyes for a moment.  
“Or you can stay behind. No problem from my side,” the Brit adds and it makes the German grit his teeth.  
“You know we’re both out if one of us falls behind,” the blond says and Lewis doesn’t say anything to that. Of course he knows. How couldn’t he.  
But the German follows his former teammate deeper into the water, eventually, and it takes them a few minute to get comfortable in the small boat.  
Although the boat is anything but _comfortable_ , as their faces tell.

They are the first ones to start paddling, though.

__

Daniel and Max are one of the teams that have an accompanying boat with them on their way to the first checkpoint.   
The camera takes some shots of the both of them laughing with each other, while Dan tells Max to keep pushing each time that the Dutchman’s strokes become too low or out of rhythm.

“I can’t believe you’d do this for fun,” Max yells at some point and Dan just grins at that, turning around at the younger one.  
“You wouldn’t?”   
Max shakes his head, “No way. Paddling? Okay. Some hiking? Fine. But doing all of this for 10 days?”  
“I like that we’re getting back to nature.”  
Max snorts, “I’m missing my sim already.”  
Daniel rolls his eyes at former teammate – teammate for this race – and has to smile, though. He can’t really help it. Never can when he’s around the Dutch.

“This will be good for you.”  
“How so, exactly?”  
“You spend too much time inside. You’re spoiled.”  
“Forgive me for forgetting you’ve actually grown up in the mountains, with a bucket for a toilet,” Max comments and Dan aims his paddle at the younger one.  
“Shut up.”   
“Make me,” Max spits out before he can stop himself, forgetting about the cameras around them for a moment. He coughs and splashes some salty water in Dan’s direction. Dan gives him the finger.

He’s not so sure if this race will actually be good for him. The Australian is not wrong for saying that Max is spoiled and he enjoys is normal life quite a lot, thank you very much.   
What’s so bad about appreciating running water and electricity?

__

“You should put on your hat and some sunscreen.”  
“I’m from Monaco, Pierre. I’m used to good weather.”  
“But this is the Fijis, _Charles_ …” Pierre tries again, in a softer voice this time.

“I know where we are, _Pierre_ ,” the Monegasque replies and paddles a little faster.

__

“Don’t you want to… get started, boys?” Toto asks, as diplomatic as possible, from where he is standing on the shore next to Christian Horner.

There is only one team that hasn’t yet left the place and it’s Hülkenberg and Magnussen, who refuse to get up from where they’re sitting.  
Kevin has hold of the map, while Nico is holding the compass and neither of them wants to give up their item, let alone try and navigate with each other.

“If you start now, you will still have plenty of time to reach Camp 1 tomorrow afternoon. But remember, there _is_ a cutoff time after all and you’ll be out of the race if you won’t make it in time,” Jenson explains the rules once again, although he is sure that the two drivers know them already.

“You know, we can’t help you with this…” Christian says and does not sound like he would have _wanted_ to help them with this, though.  
“We don’t need help,” Kevin snaps and Hulk chuckles at that.  
“Yet you can’t read maps. Not sure if you can read at all,” the German says and Kevin looks like he’s about to throw something at Nico.  
He does throw something, then, and it’s only a second later that the Dane realizes that he has given up the map by doing so.

Nico’s eyes light up in triumph, before he quickly collects the map and starts to figure out the route.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2, yay!  
> I'm several chapters ahead with writing this and I'll see when I'll update throughtout the weeks :) 
> 
> I hope I will be able to make it clear where everyone is positioned in the race and you'll be able to follow along.  
> Thank you so much for the feedback on the first chapter of this story, I was a bit blown away!
> 
> I'd still like to hear your thoughts on our teams and what you might expect / want to happen throughout this adventure race. 
> 
> Kudos would be very appreciated, as always :))
> 
> all the love,  
> Johanna xx


	3. Chapter 3

Day 1, 13:30

Team Ricciardo & Verstappen

* * *

The camera has left Dan and Max a while ago, probably to catch some shots of another team. Maybe of Lewis and Nico bickering, or Kimi letting Sebastian do all the work.   
Max doesn’t really care.  
His muscles hurt too much to care about anything else, really.

“How long have we been doing this?” Max asks, a bit breathless, while there’s sweat running down his face. He stops paddling for a second, to rest his arms for the tiniest of moments. It’s warm under the hat and sunglasses he is wearing and his arms are burning. The rowing machine back at his home gym has not prepared for actually being out at the ocean.   
In addition to that, he doubts that they have set up the sailing correctly, unsure where the wind is actually coming from.

Dan glances at his watch.  
“About 3 hours, I’d say,” the Aussie replies and Max sighs, but only on the inside, for there’s not much energy left in his body.  
“This is only the beginning!” he whines and he just _knows_ Dan is grinning again, that bastard.  
He has no idea why the older one is still doing so well while his own arms feel like they have been set on fire.   
“You’ll get through it, Maxy,” Dan says and because the boat is so small, the Aussie can reach back and gently squeeze his thigh.

Max wants to whine but he just leans forward for a bit, resting his cheek against Dan’s warm (and sweaty) back. There is no one in sight, after all.

__

“Who’s in the lead?” Jenson asks and the camera follows him into the control room, where more than ten crew members are currently monitoring the teams on big screens. Each driver had received a GPS tracker, which made it possible for them to follow each of their steps, additionally visualised on a flat screen with a big map of the islands on the wall.

The room gives off military or NASA vibes and Toto, Christian and Jenson assemble in front of the big screen.   
Blinking dots appear on the map and Jenson points at one of them.

“This one is Daniel and Max. They’re currently in the lead.”

Christian seems content with that and it’s clear that Max’s team is his favourite. Of course it is.

“What happened to Lewis and Nico?” Toto asks, with a deep frown on his face.  
“Looks like they couldn’t agree on a paddling rhythm. That can cost a lot of speed,” Jenson explains and Toto pinches the bridge of his nose but doesn’t say anything.

“Daniel and Max, on the other side, are working as a team,” Christian comments in triumph and Jenson quickly keeps talking.  
“This dot right here, in second place, are Sebastian and Kimi. Lewis and Nico are behind them.”  
  
“So those three are in the lead at the moment.”  
“Yes, Pierre and Charles are in the fourth place,” Jenson says and points at their dot.

“Hülkenberg and Magnussen are last, of course,” Christian says and all three of them have to smirk a little. Pairing them up is definitely good for the spectacle.   
“At least they’ve managed to get out at sea, eventually. They are about one and a half hours behind Lando, George and Alex, though.”

“They’ve flipped over, which cost them the place ahead of Lance and Daniil.”  
“The boat’s too small for them,” Toto confirmed.

__

Team Lewis & Nico, 14:05

* * *

There is no need to talk when paddling, which is a good thing, Nico finds. He knows that the producers have hoped for something else, especially since a camera boat has appeared by their side about half an hour ago.  
But he has nothing to say and so does Lewis, apparently, which means there is just silence between them. Not the peaceful kind one could have expected, in light of the breath-taking scenery they are passing, though.

The silence between them is heavy and it’s ugly and it’s anything but silence, in the end. Each second that the two of them do not talk to each other says more than a million words.

They haven’t managed to fall into a rhythm, either, which has been so predictable that it makes him want to laugh. He’s sure that it cost them speed, which means it costs them the time advantage they have had over the team’s behind them.   
The German isn’t sure whether Kimi and Sebastian have passed them, as the ocean is too wide to make out the other teams’ boats, but he’s rather certain that Max and Dan have done so at some point.

It makes the athlete in him crazy, knowing that they are not efficient and that they aren’t pushing it to the limits, but he tries his best to keep as calm as possible. In contrast to some of the other drivers, he actually cares about the charity project that’s the reason why they are all here.

He wants to stay in the race for as long as possible and if that means keeping his mouth shut, then so be it. At least for now.

__

Control Room, 16:23

* * *

“After more than five hours of constant paddling, Team Ricciardo-Verstappen is about to reach the island soon, as the first of our seven teams. At the moment, Team Räikkönen-Vettel is a good ¾ of an hour behind them, which means our leaders have earned themselves an impressive time advantage,” Jenson Button explains to the camera, following the GPS signal of the teams on the screen.

“Once they have reached the island, our boys will have to hike up this mountain,” he presents the elevation gain on his screen, “to where they will find Checkpoint number 1. They can take a quick rest there but they shouldn’t get lazy for too long, or otherwise the other teams might catch up on them.”

“We already have time spans of more than three hours between the team leading the ranking and the team at the bottom of the board, and we’ve only started this race this morning,” Toto is speaking into the camera, while footage of Kevin and Nico appears, the both of them aggressively pulling up and down their paddles in what looks like a very inefficient way.

“Yet, everything is still possible, even for the teams in the back. Remember, for now, the only thing the teams have to worry about is making the cutoff time at Camp number 1 tomorrow afternoon. And that is still more than just possible for all of our teams.”

Toto nods in agreement, whilst the rest of the crew is monitoring the drivers out at the ocean.

__

  
Team George & Alex & Lando

* * *

“Come on, boys!” Lando yells from where he is sitting at the bow of their tiny boat. After flipping over a while ago, they’ve figured that the quickest way for them to move forward is to make Lando sit in the front, turned towards Alex and George, to coordinate their paddling.

(Not that it is necessary, after all, but it at least gives Lando a task, since he has proven to be absolutely useless with the paddles.)

“We need to hurry up to catch the other teams!”

“You’re easy to talk,” George mutters and wipes some sweat out of his face, which has mixed with sunscreen and now burns in his eyes.

“Hey, this is hard work over here!” Lando shoots back and crosses his arms in front of his chest, pushing out his bottom lip.   
Alex sighs quietly.

“Next time, you’ll be doing all the work.”

Lando looks a bit pale at that, but it’s never sure to say with him.  
“You think we’ll have to paddle _again_?”

George looks up, shrugging his shoulders, “Probably, no?”

Lando groans dramatically, as if it’s been him that has been doing the hard work for hours and George can see a vein on Alex’s temple pulsing visibly.   
He gives the older one’s side a quick squeeze when he’s sure that Lando won’t see it.

__

To say that Daniel is relieved once they can finally drag their little boat out of the water would have been an understatement.   
After hours and hours out at the ocean, his legs are all wobbly and his arms are threatening to fall off and he would have kissed the ground if it wasn’t so sandy.

Max next to him is panting heavily, the white shirt he’s wearing now almost see-through because of the sweat.   
Daniel’s neck heats up a little – because of the sun burning down on them, that is – and he gives it his best not to stare for an inappropriate amount of time.

“I’ve missed you,” Max declares, dramatically, and lets himself fall down onto the ground, all but hugging a palm tree next to him.

“I think we’re the first ones to arrive,” Dan says while he reaches out a hand to pull the Dutchman up again, his palm brushing over Max’s neck. The younger driver leans into the affectionate touch for a second with an exhausted smile playing on his lips, before Dan quickly gets the map from his backpack.

“I think we’ll have to go that way,” he says, after a few minutes of studying the plan, and Max groans out in frustration.  
“Can’t we rest for a little longer? Those bags are weighing a million tons!”

“No, we can’t, so get your ass up. If we rest now, we’ll lose time and then all our paddling was fruitless.”   
“Fruitless?” Max repeats, giggling. Dan thinks the heat has reached his brain.  
“I’m hungry,” Dan comments and Max throws him the rest of the energy bar he’s currently chewing on.

“I could kiss you right now,” Dan says with a broad smile, but Max flinches at his words and his eyes immediately go over to the camera, which is watching them from a few metres away.

Daniel draws in his bottom lip and swallows down the words he wants to say.  
 _One step at a time_ , he thinks.

__

The hike to the checkpoint is exhausting but manageable for the Australian and the Dutchman. They’re both quite used to hiking, with especially Dan having a soft spot for the mountains, and they’re just glad that they do not have to use their arms again and are back on steady terrain. They are following a signposted hiking track deeper into the jungle of the island, but the track is passable most of the time.  
It goes up the hill steadily and Dan manages the heat a bit better than Max, who has to stop more often to drink, but all in all, Daniel is content with how they are getting forward. There is still no sight of any of the other teams and he doubts that they are in last place, so that should be a good sign.

Moreover, he quite generally enjoys spending time around his former teammate, even with the cameras around.   
Adventure racing is something he had wanted to try for years now and with Max, he might have a partner that will surely challenge him on the way to the finish line, but he is surely a teammate Dan can trust whole-heartedly.

He hands over his own water bottle to the Dutchman when the Red Bull drive has consumed all of his and Max takes it from him with a grateful look on his face, downing the rest of Dan’s water in one long gulp.   
Max’s face is a bit red from the sun and flushed with endeavour and Dan has to hold himself back from reaching out a hand and running it over the younger one’s forehead.

He swallows down the bitter feeling that ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've grown so obsessed with writing this story that I spend nearly every minute I have on this, so be prepared for more to come haha. 
> 
> Who do you think will be the first team to drop out of the race? And for what reason?  
> I'd love to hear.
> 
> Also, kudos and comments make my days.   
> All the love,  
> Johanna xx


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Day 1, 17:18, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: On the way to Checkpoint #1  
**

* * *

The second that Lewis spots Sebastian and Kimi – and the camera team that is accompanying the oldest team in the race at the moment – he forces his body to pick up even more speed.   
The hike up the hill has been manageable so far and his arms are feeling okay, in contrast to Nico’s, who has been hissing about it now and then since they had left their boat behind.

 _So much for the positive mind set the German wanted to convey to the world whenever the camera’s are around_ , Lewis thinks.

He tries not to let it get to him, though, because he’s been there, done that, and it had taken him literal years to move on from it.   
He takes a deep breath through his nose, exhaling slowly, while he jogs up the hill.   
The Brit can hear Nico cursing behind him, at the sudden acceleration, but it only puts a small smile on his lips and boosts him to run a little faster.

They manage to surpass Kimi and Seb, eventually, as the older team still seems to be a bit tired from the paddling and Lewis greets the German Ferrari driver with a quick hug.   
Sebastian smiles at him, “You’re too fast for us.”

“It’s the age gap, man,” Lewis grins and Sebastian playfully hits his shoulder.   
“You and Nico are _both_ older than me,” he protests and Lewis almost turns around to see if Nico has been able to follow his pace.   
Of course he hasn’t.

It’s always like that.

They talk briefly, while Nico is catching up on them, about the paddling and the hiking, whilst Kimi is standing a few metres away, sunglasses on and his face unreadable.

Lewis is sure that it hasn’t escaped Seb’s notice that the air has been a bit thicker than normal between the Brit and the Finn, but he hasn’t said anything about it so far.

It makes Lewis wonder, sometimes, how someone like Sebastian can be so close to someone like Kimi but if there’s someone that understands _complicated_ , then it’s Lewis himself, so he tries not to get too wound up over it.

So Lewis only briefly nods at Kimi and Kimi nods back at him and Lewis never says the things that make him want to scream right in the oldest driver’s face.   
A part of him is sure that it’s just not worth it, while another simply wants to _fight_.

What matters is that he has the support of the people he actually cares about, he thinks.   
Sebastian has always been the first one to listen, the first one willing to learn, and so has been Daniel, once he had made the effort to actually pay attention.

Lewis gaze falls onto Nico, who has caught up with them by now, and something twists inside his stomach.   
He catches Sebastian’s glance and finds worry in his friend’s eyes.

__

**Day 1, 18:59, Control Room  
**

* * *

“9 hours after we started this race, all of our teams have now reached the island and are on their ways to Checkpoint number 1,” Jenson explains into the camera, once again standing next to the screen that is showing the GPS signals of the drivers.

“Of our lead teams, Ricciardo-Verstappen, Hamilton-Rosberg and Räikkönen-Vettel, the first two have already reached the first Checkpoint. After a whole day of adventure-racing, the temptation to rest might be very strong, but some of our midfield-teams have picked up their speed and are closing in on our leaders,” Toto adds and the camera shows the youngest of their teams, with Alex, George and Lando speeding up the hill.

“I wonder if they are investing too much right now,” Christian says, and it’s hard to tell if it is disapproval or worry showing on his face.

“That’s a very good question indeed,” Jenson nods, turning towards the camera, “this race cannot be won in a single day, but you can surely lose it in one, if you don’t make the cutoff time. I’m sure that the winners of this Eco-Challenge will be the team that manages their resources best – knowing when to rest and lose some time in order to have a power-boost later on.”

“So what are our standings at the moment?” Christian asks and walks over to the screen.

“Within the first three teams, Lewis and Nico have gained the second place for the moment, with Kimi and Sebastian falling back behind them.”

“Not much teamwork needed on this hike, then,” Christian comments and Toto’s jaw tightens.

“Well,” Jenson continues, clearing his throat, “Magnussen and Hulk are still in the last place, although they have managed to diminish the intervals a little. Lance and Daniil are currently in fourth place, on about the same level as Alex, George and Lando.”

“What about Pierre and Charles?” Christian asks, looking for their dot on the map.

Jenson double checks the GPS data, before a small frown appears on his face.

“Looks like they’ve been losing a lot of time quite rapidly. Let’s see what’s up with those two, shall we?” he asks, before the camera cuts to the young Frenchman and the Monégasque.

__

**Day 1, 19:04, Team Charles & Pierre**   
**Position: on the way to Checkpoint #1  
**

* * *

“Shhh, Charles. Just breathe in calmly. In… and out…” Pierre tries, from where he has squatted down next to his teammate, who is sitting on the steps to some abandoned shack in the shadows.

After leaving their boat, they have managed to walk for a while, before Charles has gotten trouble breathing. When the Monégasque had suddenly bumped into him, holding onto Pierre’s shoulder while he was apparently unable to see the track in front of them, the Frenchman had seriously started to worry about his friend.

And now they’ve spent about 20 minutes without moving, the ticking clock not on Pierre’s mind at all, whatsoever.   
Charles is flushed red, his skin basically burning, while cold sweat is running down his face.

“Shh, chéri, breathe with me, come on,” he whispers lowly, running a hand up and down Charles’ back.   
He’s not sure whether the younger man is even listening to him, if he can even understand him, but he tries anyways.

Charles leans forward until his head is resting between his knees, his pants unsteady and hectic, while Pierre checks his forehead once again.

“I’ll throw up,” the Monégasque suddenly mumbles and then continues to do just that, while Pierre keeps hold of his back, his fingers trying to rub soothing patterns against the younger one’s skin.

There’s a camera team with them but he knows they’re not allowed to help and he also knows that he has to get Charles back on his feet as soon as possible, or otherwise they will fall far behind. Maybe even behind Hulk and Magnussen, who everyone expects to drop out first, anyway.

“Here, please lay down on your back and put up your feet against the wall, okay?” he proposes and gently brushes his knuckles over his friend’s cheek.

“I want to go home,” Charles mumbles with his eyes close and Pierre sighs quietly, squeezing his friend’s hand.   
“I know, Charles.”

“I hate this,” the Ferrari driver mumbles and Pierre repeats his words.

“But there are people cheering for us, Charles. I know you can do this,” he adds, if only to call on Charles’ ego.   
“So please, just lay down and put up your feet, okay? Peux-tu faire ça pour moi?”

Charles groans something that Pierre cannot catch, but he takes it as a yes and helps his friend lie down on his back, putting up his feet.   
He sits down next to him, not letting go of his hand, while he tells the younger one to keep breathing calmly once again.

“I think you’re having a sunstroke,” he says to the younger one, eventually, just _this close_ to adding _I told you so_.

Charles moans in pain, shivering, and then pushes his middle finger right into Pierre’s face.   
The French shakes his head and presses a quick kiss against it.

__

**Day 1, same time, at Checkpoint #1  
**

* * *

“Water!” Max calls out in delight and jogs over to the cistern with an amount of energy Daniel hasn’t seen in him for hours.

Lewis and Nico have caught up with them by now and they have reached the first Checkpoint together.

It’s located at a small plateau up on the hill, with several tents for the crew members that have been waiting for them, a medical area, and the opportunity to wash themselves as well as refill their supplies.

The four of them eventually sit down on a few high-tech camping chairs, forming a small circle.

“So, this is the first checkpoint then,” Nico says, while he’s eating an energy bar, “great view from up here.”

“We should get a couple of hours of sleep,” Max says and yawns, while the three other drivers stare at him incredulously.

“No we are _not_ , Maxy,” Daniel says, “it’s barely evening and we’d lose all of our time advantage.”

Max just sighs at that and drinks more of his water.   
He feels like he’s lost half his body-weight just from sweating.

“Dan’s right, Max,” Lewis says and gets up from where he’s sitting, getting some vegan food from a trunk nearby, “we won’t get to know the ranking before reaching Camp 1 tomorrow, but I think we’re currently in the lead. We’ve passed Seb and Kimi on the way up here.”

“Has anyone seen Lance and Daniil?” Daniel asks and immediately sees how Max’s head snaps up, his eyes narrowing at the mention of the Russian.

Everyone shakes their heads.

“Have you heard anything from the rookies?” Lewis asks and there is genuine worry in his voice. Nico seems to be surprised by that, as he turns towards his former teammate.

“Why you’d care?” he asks and Daniel exchanges a glance with Max, who has pressed his lips together to hold back a snort.

“Why would I _care_?” Lewis echoes in disbelief and something close to outrage, while Nico simply nods.

When Lewis doesn’t do or say anything apart from closing his eyes and probably counting to ten instead of punching Nico right in the face, Dan takes it on him to explain.

“Lewis and our rookies have formed a bond,” he says and Nico frowns at him.   
“A bond,” the German repeats and seems to be more than just confused.

“Yeah, it’s not like you’d understand anything about friendship,” Lewis suddenly spits out and Dan catches Max’s gaze once again.

Nico’s mouth opens and closes several times and Dan _knows_ it’s not fair of Lewis to say that, but then again, _what is_?  
He’s not in the position to judge the Brit.   
He knows he has reasons and Nico had lost his right to _fair_ years ago.

But seeing Lewis and Nico like this always stirs something inside of him.   
It makes him miss those times years ago, when everything had been _just_ fine.  
Looking back, he’s sure that this has only been an illusion, that nothing has ever been fine between these two, but he misses it still.

He misses those nights after races that he has spent with them and with Daniil and Sebastian, when they had sometimes laughed together until the sun would rise.   
Back then, he had envied the two Mercedes drivers for what they had had and he had wanted just the same.

But now, whenever he has to look at them together, it makes him feel sick to the core and then he wants to take Max’s hand and run away with him.

He wants to keep running until there’s not one goddamn paddock in sight anymore, wants to run until Max can finally let go of his father and the things that still keep him up at night.

Dan used to envy Lewis and Nico and now they have turned into his worst nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this story is currently my comfort place to hide away from my seasonal depression and I'm so so happy that this idea has come to me and that I can let it fill these grey days at the moment. 
> 
> As always, I would love to know what you think about this chapter and I've got another question for you;  
> If two teams were to work together to achieve something, who would it be?  
> And which teams would NEVER support each other to make it to the nex checkpoint/Camp?
> 
> Let me know :)
> 
> Kudos usually make my heart smile.   
> xx Johanna


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Day 1, 19:30, Team Lewis & Nico, Daniel & Max**   
**Position: leaving Checkpoint 1  
**

* * *

“Hey,” Dan mumbles, while Nico and Max have walked several metres ahead.

The sun sets early on the Fijis and it is almost completely dark by now, their head torches the only source of light whilst they are making their way down the hill again, to get to another river.

“Hey,” Lewis says and just from that one word, Daniel can sense that the Brit is feeling tense.   
The Aussie doesn’t want to turn his head into the direction of his friend, since he would shove the light of his lamp right into the Brit’s eyes, which is why he cannot see his face.

“Are you okay?” he asks quietly, knowing that Nico and Max cannot hear them, anyway, since the jungle is still alive around them, the wind rushing through and creating a melody.

Lewis doesn’t reply and it’s enough of a response, really.   
Dan reaches out his hand for a second to give his hand a squeeze.

“I just don’t get why they had to pair me up with him,” Lewis says after a while, his voice barely more than a whisper. He doesn’t want anyone to hear what he’s saying.   
Daniel nods in understanding.

“I… I heard that Toto had a say in this,” Daniel confesses and a second later, Lewis’ head torch is shining right into his face.  
“The fuck did you just say?”

But Lewis has heard him just right, so there’s no need to repeat what he has said.   
“Fuck,” the Brit mutters under his breath.   
“Why did he do that?” he asks a couple of seconds alter and Dan can’t do much but shrug.

“Maybe he… I don’t know.”   
“What?”  
Dan licks his lips, “I don’t know, man… Maybe he wanted to… help you guys or something.”

Lewis snorts and Dan _gets_ it, because he’s not sure if any help in the world could be enough to sort this out.   
“I want to punch him, you know that?” Lewis asks quietly and it almost makes Dan chuckle.   
“Toto?”   
“No,” Lewis says firmly, then, “yes, him too.”

“What would it help?”  
Lewis releases a rush of breath, before he shrugs next to Dan, their shoulders almost touching.

“It would ruin his face. You think he’d still shove his face into every camera he can find with a broken nose?”   
Dan has to laugh out loud at that and it makes Max and Nico turn into their direction, the head torches blinding them.

“I could help you with it, you know,” Dan contemplates, “I’m sure Max would be in on it as well.”  
“No, he wouldn’t,” Lewis sighs, “he likes Nico.”   
“Everyone does,” Dan says and it’s out before he can stop himself. He holds his breath for a second, while Lewis has clearly tensed up.   
“Sorry,” the Aussie mumbles and Lewis remains quiet, before he eventually says, “No, you’re right. He blinds everyone.”

__

The camera is showing Lance and Daniil, who have just reached the plateau with the first Checkpoint of the race.

Lance has a wide smile on his face, despite the exhaustion that is radiating from him. Daniil is walking behind him, looking less exhausted but more reserved.

The Canadian turns around to meet his teammate’s eyes, holding up a hand in a high-five.   
“I’m proud of us!” he declares and waits for the Russian to meet his hand up in the air, “I think you did really well!”

Daniil slightly turns his head away from the younger one at his words, a hint of a blush appearing on his face.  
The camera catches it but it’s probably too dark for Lance to make it out in the dim light.

The Alpha Tauri driver eventually matches Lance’s high-five and the Canadian’s grin widens, while Dany is chewing on his bottom lip.

“Are you hungry?” Lance asks, pointing at the food he has spotted.   
Daniil coughs and clears his throat, nodding at the younger driver.   
Lance smiles and waits for him to come along.

__

**Team Daniel & Max, Lewis & Nico  
**

* * *

The hike down the hill takes them about two and a half hours, and with the uneven ground and the bad lighting, it takes a lot of concentration in order not to slip and fall down some hillside.   
Nico feels like they are moving faster as a group of four than they would if they were only as a pair, as they can watch out for each other and point out surface irregularities such as stones or roots intermingling with the track.

And after spending half the day on his own with Lewis, in tense silence and occasional bickering, it is a nice change to have someone to talk to.  
He knows their teams will part ways, eventually, with both of them wanting to get ahead of each other, but he enjoys the more relaxed atmosphere while it lasts.

Once they have finished their descent, it does not take them long to figure out what their next way of transportation is: the big bamboo canes stacked over one another by the riverbank do not leave much to their imagination.

“Do we have to build these rafts ourselves?” Max asks in astonishment, running his fingers through his wet hair.

“They’re called bilibilis here,” Lewis says and kneels down next to the bamboo, “they’re rafts made of lashed-together bamboo.”

“But I have no idea how to build these,” Max doesn’t look convinced and lights the area with his torch, looking for already-built rafts or maybe even a boat.   
There are, of course, none to be found and after asking the camera crew for confirmation, they learn that they will actually have to figure the construction out themselves.

“How hard can this be?” Nico asks and shrugs his shoulder.   
“Oh, so you’ve built something like this before?” Lewis asks sarcastically, one eyebrow shooting up.

“No,” Nico answers and inspects some bamboo canes and the laces he has found next to them himself.  
“I thought you might have actually learned something useful in your _summer camp_.”

“Hey!” Dan calls, before things get the chance to overheat, “I’m sure this is doable. Otherwise it wouldn’t be part of the race.”  
“This is the World’s Toughest Race, after all,” Max comments, imitating Jenson’s presenter-voice.

“Nah, Dan’s right, guys,” Lewis chimes in and lifts one of the bamboo canes from the ground, showing off his biceps, “the four of us should work together with this one. It’s the quickest way to find the correct way of construction and get us on that river.”

“What if I don’t want to help you?” Max asks and it’s half a joke, half actually competitive. Dan rolls his eyes and places a hand on Max’s back, pinching his neck.   
“You think you’re better at building this than Lewis?”   
The Dutchman turns around to the Australian and smirks at him, his voice teasing, “You don’t believe in me?”

“Nope, sorry, babe. I trust Lewis with this one,” Dan blows a kiss into Max’s direction and Max sticks his tongue out at the older one.   
“Go fuck yourself, Dan.”   
Daniel grins and Max looks away, his face heating.

__

**Day 1, 22: 44, Team George & Lando & Alex, **   
**Position: on the way to Checkpoint #2  
**

* * *

“Guys! GUYS! Help! I’m drowning!” Lando yells from where he is sitting on two bamboo canes that he has pushed onto the shallow water of the river. The canes are not tied together yet and the young Brit is waving his arms rapidly, trying his best to stay on the bamboo instead of flipping over _again_.

“Get out of there, Lando!” George does not sound amused at all and Lando pouts at him, pushing his legs down until his feet reach the ground of the river.

“Excuse me for trying to lighten the mood,” Lando mumbles, pushing out his bottom lip.   
“The mood is _just fine_ ,” George groans, while he is wrapping the ropes around the bamboo canes that just won’t stay together.

“’Course it is…” Lando whispers and his eyes find Alex, who is holding a second flashlight for George to see what he is doing.   
George is cursing under his breath and has been doing so for a while now.

“I’m sure that other teams have made it this far already and since they’re not here anymore, they must have figured out a way to build these rafts,” the Williams driver says and places a shorter bamboo cane across the other canes that he has already lashed together, in order to give it more stability.

“Or maybe they’ve drowned,” Lando adds for consideration and quickly raises his hands in defence when George shoots him a dark glance.   
Alex has decided its best for him not to say anything.

“Just saying…” Lando adds and George lets out a groan.  
“I can’t concentrate,” the Brit says and Lando pulls his own bamboo canes out of the water.

“We can use these as paddles,” he muses, thinking back of a trip to Venice he has taken a couple of years ago.   
“Great,” George mumbles and the McLaren driver is unsure if it is meant ironically or not.  
“Or maybe we could-…”

“Lando,” George starts, taking a deep breath, “I love you, but if you don’t _shut up_ now, I’ll personally make sure you drown in there.”

Lando actually does shut up at that, but only to pull grimaces behind George’s back, making Alex giggle.   
He steps behind George and starts massaging the older one’s tight shoulders. He doesn’t like when George’s this tensed.

__

**Day 1, same time, Team Charles & Pierre**   
**Position: on the way to Checkpoint #1  
**

* * *

“I can see the checkpoint already,” Pierre mumbles into Charles’ ear, and the Monégasque flinches at his words while he’s moaning with each step they are taking.  
Pierre has slung an arm around the Ferrari’s back, supporting him, while he has placed Charles’ arm across his own shoulder.

Charles is still shivering, despite the warmth of his face and Pierre wishes he had forced the younger one to wear his fucking hat and sunscreen.

“Hey!” someone suddenly calls and the both of them literally jump, causing Charles to hiss out in pain.   
“You guys need help?”   
It is Hülkenberg who’s asking the question and Pierre is relieved to see another soul, until he realizes that they have just been caught by what is probably the team that has been ranked last until now.

“What happened?” Kevin asks and sounds genuinely worried, while it does not escape Pierre’s notice that the two drivers barely look at each other, let alone close the one and a half metres distance between them.

“I think he’s suffering from a sunstroke,” Pierre explains and is more than grateful when Nico steps forward and wraps one of his long arms around Charles’ other side, supporting his steps.

“The paddling was brutal,” Kevin says and the Frenchman can only agree.   
“I’ll help you get him to the checkpoint. We should get him to the medical tent, no?”

Pierre nods, “I hope it’s nothing too serious.”  
Nico gives him a sympathetic smile, but Pierre can tell that the German doubts it.

“Kevin?” Nico asks and sounds hesitant while doing so.   
“Huh?” the Dane snaps, passive-aggression dripping from his words and Nico groans.   
“Can you help? I’m sure Pierre’s been dragging Charles up here for a while.”

Kevin glares at Nico, like helping the German is the last thing in the world he’d ever consider doing, but his glance then falls upon Pierre and the way Charles’ head has fallen onto his sternum.

He mumbles something in Danish that Pierre cannot understand but then takes his place without another complaint, careful not to touch the Hulk’s arm slung across Charles’ waist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Day 2, 00:57, Control Room  
**

* * *

One would think the race’s headquarters are less frequented at this hour of the day, with some crew members perhaps feeling the need to catch some sleep, but quite the opposite is the case; with the night having dawned on the racing teams, it is now even more important for the controllers to follow each of their steps and their GPS data.

The camera teams are still out with them, of course, but darkness in Fiji is not the same darkness Jenson knows from home; out here, it is infinite blackness, so thick that it is impossible to make out anyone that is not wearing a lamp.

He knows this Adventure race is for charity reasons and that an actual Eco-challenge would have less comfort than the drivers still get to enjoy – although they would definitely argue with that.   
But the crew hasn’t calculated the cutoff time as relentlessly as they would have done with elite-teams in the competition and while the mandatory rest-time at the Camps would be just 90 minutes in the original Eco-Challenge, they have extended that time for the drivers.

It's a big event still, once that will be streamed world-wide once they will release their footage, and Jenson is aware that this is one of the toughest challenges the drivers might have faced so far. He envies them a bit, though, wishing he could be out there with maybe Nando or Mark.   
He knows they could do well and that they would probably kick the younger guys’ asses, especially knowing what the rest of the race will hold for them.

The Brit then has to think that we probably would have murdered Fernando in his sleep after at least three days and the thought puts a grin on his face, remembering he should give the Spaniard a call later on.

Jenson is the only one of the presenters still present, while Christian and Toto have went off to sleep in order to be ready to host the next shift starting at 04:00 in the morning.   
The race teams, however, won’t get to sleep at all until they will reach the first Camp of the race tomorrow afternoon.

A crew member then comes over to refresh the powder on his cheeks, before he steps into the well-light area of the headquarters and gets ready for the cameras.

__

“Six of our seven teams have now managed to build their bilibilis – some more successfully than others – and only one team is still at Checkpoint 1.”

The camera turns towards the big screen with the map of the island they’re currently on, spiked with the GPS signals of the drivers.   
The next thing that appears is live-footage of Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc in the medical tent of the first checkpoint.

Jenson has to frown at that, as he is actually worried about the young Ferrari driver.   
And he also knows that the Monégasque has a strong fanbase and keeping him in the race as long as possible will be one of the key-factors to getting the viewing figures up for the Challenge. He hopes that he will manage to recover quickly and make it to Camp 1 before time runs out.

He clears his throat and looks back into the camera, switching from one leg to the other, “Which also means that Team Hülkenberg-Magnussen isn’t in last position for the first time in this race.”

The screen goes back to showing the map, zooming in on the river six of the seven teams are currently on.

“With their current speed and the darkness as an additional layer of difficulty, we just now expect our leading teams to reach Checkpoint number 2 at about 03:00 in the morning. This might be a stage of the race where teams could either gain or lose a lot of time, based on how well their bilibilis float on the water.”

__

**Day 2, same time, Team Lance & Daniil**   
**Position: on the way to Checkpoint #2  
**

* * *

They had started paddling while kneeling on their raft, a bit unsure about the solidity of the bilibili they have built, but after figuring out that it floats quite nicely, Lance had proposed to get on their feet and paddle like one would do on a Stand-Up-Paddle.

Daniil is actually rather proud of the raft they have built, since it has been their first try and he has never built anything alike before, and the bamboo-canes swim on top of the water agreeably well. He had been afraid that it would sink into the water, causing their gear and feet to get wet, but none of that happens and they manage to steer their bilibili down the river.  
Their pace is abysmal and it feels like they are not really getting anywhere, but he doubts that any of the other teams are faster.

The fact that they can only see a few metres ahead with their head torches is worrying, since someone told him that there are sharks in the river, but he writes it off as a joke and tries to think of other things.

“You good?” Lance asks and turns around from where he is standing in front of him, his head torch lowered so it doesn’t blind Daniil’s eyes.   
The Canadian has been asking this frequently now and then and every time, the older one simply nods, a bit unsure what the younger driver expects to hear from him.

“You?” he asks this time, just to have something to say, and Lance smiles. He always does and Daniil thinks of it as a bit irritating.   
“I’m good, thanks for asking,” he replies and Daniil presumes it’s true that Canadians are always over-polite. He doesn’t really know how to deal with it.

Daniil is still a bit pissed that he has been paired up with the Racing Point driver – not because of Lance himself, though.  
He doesn’t know the Canadian, has barely spoken to him on race week ends, and that is exactly the point. While Sebastian has been teamed with Kimi, and Charles with Pierre, and so on, he has been put in a team with a guy he barely knows.

Daniil doesn’t have friends in the paddock, not really. Well, there’s Daniel and he gets along with him really well, but who doesn’t?  
He knows that Dan’s friends don’t like him and Max seems to be holding some sort of a grudge against him and why should he try to form friendships with his rivals, anyway?

But he also knows that F1 has changed, they are not the bunch of drivers that don’t have to say anything nice to each other on and off the track anymore, as it might have been in different eras of the sports.

Most of the other drivers have grown up together, especially the young ones, and Daniil sometimes wishes he had what they have.   
Someone to easily joke around with in the paddock, someone to team up with for this goddamn Eco-Challenge.

He had tried, in his first years in Formula 1. He had been friendly to the others, still is, but he has never managed to become part of the group.   
In a way, it has always been like that, in every series he’s driven in.   
Most of the time, he doesn’t really care.  
Sometimes he does.

“Are you tired?” Lance asks and turns around again, snapping the Russian out of his thoughts.  
“Eh,” he makes, a bit surprised that the Canadian is already talking _again_ , so he just shrugs his shoulders.  
“It’s okay,” he replies, eventually, and Lance seems to be happy with his answer. He doesn’t really get why he would care, though.

It takes a few more paddle strokes for Daniil to ask, “You?”

Lance has turned back to face the river, but he can hear his voice clearly still.   
“Yeah, I am. But nothing too serious.”

“Okay,” Daniil says, because what else would be there to say.  
“Okay,” Lance echoes, his voice carried by the wind.

__

**Day 2, same time, Team Charles & Pierre**   
**Position: at Checkpoint #1  
**

* * *

“You’ll be fine,” Pierre whispers against Charles’ sticky skin, running a hand through the Monégasque’s hair.   
“The doctors say you’ll be fine with a bit of rest,” he adds and makes himself comfortable on his side, where he is lying next to his teammate in a shelter tent.

The camping mat underneath him isn’t exactly comfortable and his arm is getting crushed by his own body weight, but he’s afraid that the second he tears his eyes away from Charles, the other man will throw up again.

“I hate this,” Charles mutters, his eyes closed, “I hate you.”

Pierre chuckles softly and lets out a long sigh.   
“You don’t.”

“I do,” Charles protests, “ _Je fais_!”  
“ _Bien sûr, petit chat_ ,” Pierre mumbles and runs his nose over Charles’ neck.

In the shelter of their tent, he’s free to show the younger one his affection.

“I want… to… go home,” Charles breathes out, slowly, as if he still has to make sure not to waste too much energy.  
“You really want to let Lewis win this? Or Max?” Pierre asks, his lips close to Charles’ ear. He can feel the other man shiver against him at his words and he smiles against the side of Charles’ face.

“…Non. Pas lui,” Charles mumbles and his eyelids flutter, until he eventually looks up at Pierre with dazed eyes.

Pierre reaches out his hand and rests the back of it against the younger man’s forehead.  
“You’re hot,” he states and Charles suddenly smirks, biting down on his bottom lip.

“Thanks, babe.”  
Pierre huffs and rolls his eyes.   
“I didn’t mean it _like that_.”  
“You don’t think I’m hot?” Charles asks, suddenly sounding a lot more alive than just a few seconds ago.   
Pierre snorts.  
“Your ego is incredible.”

“Non, Pierre. _Je_ suis incroyable.”   
Charles is mumbling quickly and his eyes flutter shut again, causing Pierre to press one last kiss against the other man’s temple.  
He slings an arm over Charles’ hips and cuddles up against him.  
“Sleep a little, calamar. We’ll tackle them tomorrow.”

__

**Day 2, 02:15, Team Geroge & Lando & Alex  
**

* * *

“This is a disaster,” Alex says, his eyebrows almost reaching his hairline, while he is looking down at his feet on the bamboo canes, which are getting more and more covered by water.

Their bilibili has been sinking down into the water steadily and while it is still floating, it is definitely costing them speed _and_ time.

“We will drown,” Lando says matter-of-factly and George closes his eyes for a moment, the light from his head torch and his obscenely-long lashes painting shadows on his cheeks.  
“You cannot drown in this river, Lando.”  
The other Brit looks doubtful, “You can drown in every water, I think.”  
“Well then I’ll jump in and rescue you, okay?” George snaps and Lando actually seems to be happy with the answer, nodding to himself.

It is impossible to tell which position in the race they are currently in and Alex is sure that other teams are struggling with their bamboo rafts as well, but then again they don’t have to fit three people onto a bilibili that is only meant for two.

“I must have made a mistake with the construction,” George says and the frown on his face only seems to intensify.   
“You did your best,” Lando is quick to say, placing a hand over where George is holding onto his paddle.  
“Yes, don’t beat yourself up,” Alex adds, wishing he could give his boyfriend a hug.   
Lando nods at his words, while he leans up on his tiptoes, to bamboo beneath him making a squeaking sound.

Lando pecks his lips in expectation, waiting for the tension on George’s face to vanish.   
It eventually does drop and the taller Brit leans down a little, pressing a quick kiss against the corner of Lando’s lips.

Alex can only hope that there isn’t a camera around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> almost forgot to upload this chapter, although it's Thursday.  
> Here you go, though.... :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Day 2, 03:04, Team Daniel & Max  
Position: reaching Checkpoint #2  
**

* * *

“I can’t hear them anymore, can you?” Max asks, tilting his head so he can listen if there are any voices behind them on the river.   
“No, I haven’t heard them in…” Dan looks at the watch he’s wearing on his wrist, “maybe 20 minutes?”   
“Mh,” Max makes and wishes he had checked his own watch, “I’m not sure, actually.”  
“Yeah, gets hard to tell out here,” the Aussie admits, “time seems to work differently.”

“Ey, ey, ey, ey, ey!” Daniel suddenly yells, his head falling back while his voice spreads out into the jungle around them.   
“The fuck are you doing?”  
Dan’s gaze tells him to shut up, while the Australian is listening closely to hear if there is anyone calling back.

“And I thought you’re testing a war cry or something,” Max sounds almost relieved, while a big smirk is creeping up on Daniel’s face.  
“Now that is an excellent idea, Maxy,” the Aussie winks and Max would hide his face away in his palms if he wasn’t busy paddling and trying to keep balance at the same time. He will definitely feel the muscles of his core after this task.

Daniel leans his head back once again and howls like a wolf, before whistling so loud that it makes Max flinch.

“We should get ourselves a team name,” the Aussie then contemplates and Max draws in his bottom lip.  
“Don’t you ever get tired?”  
“Why, are _you_ tired, mate?” Daniel asks.  
“We’ve been racing for what… 17 hours now?”   
“You’re just spoiled.”

Max snorts at the Australian’s words and Daniel chuckles, poking his paddle into the Dutchman’s back.   
“Fuck off!” Max calls, having trouble to keep his stability on the bilibili, but it only makes Dan laugh.

“So, how far do you think Lewis and Nico are behind?” Daniel asks once he has calmed down and Max thinks about his question, although he’s struggling to actually focus at the moment. He wouldn’t have thought that he would end up craving sleep so early in the race, but his body is not used to these different kinds of activities in such short time – quite in contrast to Daniel, apparently.   
It is a crazy thought that there will be nine more days of this.

“No idea,” he replies truthfully and Daniel hums.   
“Seems like they couldn’t get a rhythm with the paddles,” the Aussie contemplates and it makes Max snicker, despite his exhaustion.  
“That was to be expected.”

Daniel nods, but he seems to take it a bit more seriously than the Dutchman.   
“I really hope they’ll make it through.”  
“Through what?”  
“I don’t know. To the finish line.”  
“I doubt they’ll make it.”  
Daniel turns his head in surprise.  
“For real?”

Max nods, “Sure, they’ve done okay today. But it’s only the first leg of the race. We were told this is about teamwork, right?”  
“Right,” Dan says, before a wide smile starts playing on his lips, “and we’re the best team in this competition.”

“I hope you’ll say the same once this race is over,” Max mutters and the smile on Daniel’s face falters.   
“We’re always the best team, Maxy. No matter what.”   
Dan stops paddling for a moment and Max watches him.  
He has to turn away eventually, suddenly afraid of what Daniel could do. They are not alone here and the Aussie seems to keep forgetting about that.  
“I know,” he whispers and doesn’t dare looking back at his boyfriend before Daniel has went back to paddling.

“Wait wait wait!” Daniel suddenly calls out, excitement in his voice.  
“What?” Max asks, squinting his eyes to see if the Aussie has been able to make out something.  
“I think… I think we’re here, aren’t we?”  
The Dutchman follows where Daniel is pointing at with his eyes and he can indeed make out lights by the shore of the river.   
“This might be the next checkpoint!” Daniel exclaims and they don’t bother checking their map again, just plain hope driving them to paddle a little faster and make it to the riverbank.   
Soon enough, they can actually make out crew members waiting for them on the side.

“Yes, baby!” Daniel calls and Max can’t help but chuckle, feeling like weight has been lifted from his shoulders when they can finally pull their bilibili out of the water.   
“Fucking hell, my arms will fall off any second after the paddling yesterday and this,” the Dutchman comments and Daniel nods along.  
“Same, mate. Same.”

They are greeted by a member of the crew, a man in his fourties, who hands them two bottles of water and something to eat.   
“Thanks, man.”

Just like at Checkpoint #1, several tents are set up, flood lights illuminating the exchange area by the riverbank.

“Does one of you require medical attention?” the crew member, Josh, as his name tag tells them, asks.   
“Apart from my burning biceps?” Dan asks, jokingly, “No, I don’t think so. What about you, Maxy?”  
The younger Dutch shakes his head and they are lead past some tents, to a small seating area with low three-legged stools that sink into the muddy ground.

The camera crew leaves them to breathe for the first time in hours and they fall down onto the chairs in fatigue, with their knees touching briefly.   
“You good?” Max asks and Dan smiles, reaching out to take Max’s hand in his.   
Max does not hesitate to intertwine his fingers with the Australian’s and give them a squeeze.   
He feels the warmth of Dan’s hand spread through his body and he can’t help but smile at the older one, despite his tiredness and the exhaustion that is constantly clinging to him, creeping up his back.   
“I love you,” Dan mouths, without speaking it out loud, and it makes Max blush still, in the way only Daniel can.

They take a couple of minutes to catch their breaths, massaging their aching muscles, and Max is sure that he falls asleep a couple of times, with his chin falling down onto his shoulder.   
Each time, he wakes up the second his head drops.

“Okay, so now the question is; do we take some proper rest or do we just keep going?” Daniel says and stretches out his legs. He has changed into a dry pair of pants that look a bit funny on him, considering Max only knows him in either his racing suit or ridiculously tight skinny jeans and over-sized t-shirts.  
But the trekking pants also sort of look good on the Aussie, he has to admit.   
They make the Renault driver look older, but in a good way. Maybe more mature is the correct term.

But the goofy grin is back on Dan’s face just a second later, reminding Max that there is nothing mature about the Australian, and he wouldn’t want it any other way, whatsoever.

“What do you think?” Max asks the older one, tilting his head from one side to the other to crack the muscles of his neck.   
“Next leg is mountain biking, right?”  
“Yeah.”  
“The sun won’t be up for another 3 hours or so. That will make biking more difficult.”   
“I think you’re right.”

“However,” Dan starts, “there’s a mandatory rest period at Camp 1 this evening, anyway.”  
“I get you. You think we should keep pushing, as we’ll have to get some sleep at the Camp, anyway?”   
Daniel nods, “Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. You think you can do it?”   
“It will be hard, no doubt. But I don’t want one of those suckers to catch up with us,” Max answers and grins.   
“It’s settled, then.”  
The Dutchman nods at his former teammate, “Let’s keep pushing.”  
  


__

**Day 2, 04:07, Team Lewis & Nico  
**

* * *

Riding dirty mountain bikes up some muddy track with absolutely no light apart from their head torches isn’t exactly the easiest thing in the world, but it is also not the hardest thing Lewis has ever done, so that’s that.   
At least there are signposts on the side of the path, which means that they don’t constantly have to check the map and the compass to navigate through the jungle.   
The air is a bit cooler during the night than it has been during the day, but not by much. And it’s not the actual temperature that is the problem but rather the humidity.

His clothes have been moist ever since they have started and it’s hard to tell if he is actually sweating from the exercise or if the wetness in the air is just clinging to him tightly.   
The sweat on his skin is now mixing with the dirt whirled up by the bikes as well and he has to wipe mud from his face several times, cursing Nico’s back wheel several times.

The German seems to get some sick sort of satisfaction from keeping Lewis behind him on the track and it is getting on the Brit’s nerves.   
Everything between them is always a competition; has always been, will always be.   
He grits his teeth and refuses to let go of his positon directly behind Nico’s back wheel, despite the mud and dirt hitting his face.

He knows it’s petty and childish and all different kind of things he really does not want to be but Nico always brings out the worst in him. That is another one of these things that never seem to change, no matter the years that are passing.

When Nico suddenly reduces his speed significantly, Lewis almost crashes into him and only a last second turn of his handlebars save the Brit from doing so. It makes his bike swerve, whatsoever, overbalancing until he eventually falls down onto his side, preventing his shoulder from hitting the ground by absorbing it with his stretched hand.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” he calls out, taking a deep breath to let go of the shock that has spread throughout his body and when Nico turns around to him, where he’s still holding himself up with his hand on the ground, there’s not even the tiniest trace of an apology on his face.

“Whoa,” Nico says and Lewis wants to punch his stupid face.   
“You can’t just drive that close behind me!”

“And you can’t just stop like that! Fuck!” Lewis curses, unable to get back up from where he is caught under his bike. He groans and tries to push it off him, but it would only work if he’d let himself fall down into the mud, which he is trying to prevent.

“You need help?” Nico asks and it somehow doesn’t sound like a question at all. Lewis is sure that the German is just one second away from giving him a smug smile as well.   
“No,” the Brit hisses back and Nico raises a blond eyebrow, his green eyes sparkling in the dark.

“Why’d you just stop like that?” Lewis tries to keep as calm as possible while he’s actually boiling on the inside because _how_ , how the _FUCK_ does Nico always manage to drive him nuts.  
He’s not the type of person anymore that he used to be when Nico was still in F1. Since then, he has grown as a person, he’s learned techniques to keep cool and focus on shit, and now he’s been a day around the German and it feels like he’s losing control over himself all over again.

He works so hard to be the man that so many of his fans look up to, tries to be a role model for the younger drivers by doing the right things and treating everyone with kindness, and now all he wants to do is punch that goddamn smirk right off Nico’s face.

“You sure you don’t need help?” the German asks, drawing in his pink bottom lip and Lewis’ free hand forms a fist so tight that he can hear his knuckles crackling.   
“Help from you is the last thing I need,” he spits out and gives the bike another push, hoping it will finally slide off him.

He can’t read the gaze Nico gives him, probably a mixture of disbelief and consternation, and it serves him just right, he thinks.

“Here,” Nico eventually says and lays his own bike down on the ground, since they didn’t come with kickstands.   
Lewis wants to protest and suddenly feels the strong urge to hold onto his bike before the German can lift it off, but that would have been nothing but pathetic, so he grits his teeth and watches Nico pick up his bike.

“There you go,” Nico says, a bit mocking, “ _you’re welcome_.”  
“Oh save it!”

“Whatever,” Nico replies, “but before you accused me of trying to murder you, I wondered if we should check if there’s a quicker track leading to Checkpoint 3.”

“A quicker track?” Lewis asks, ignoring the rest of Nico’s speech, “like a shortcut, you mean?”

The German nods, “I think we’ll only catch Daniel and Max again if we push a little harder.”  
“No. They’ve put us on this track for a reason and I won’t risk getting into that jungle with the good chance of ending up injured.”  
“You didn’t even think about it!” Nico groans, “this is mountain biking, not brain surgery!”

“I don’t have to think about it, because it’s a stupid idea, Nico!”   
“No, it’s a great idea if we want to keep up with Dan and Max! You’re just incapable of taking risks when they’re needed!”

“I can’t believe _you’re_ saying that! _You_!”  
“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Lewis snorts, shaking his head to himself, “You’re seriously saying I’m the one who isn’t willing to take risks? When it’s you that always tries to play things safe?”  
“Don’t be ridiculous!”

“ _I’m_ being ridiculous?” Lewis asks, eyes narrowing, “you’re so used to always taking the easy route and quitting when it gets tough that you don’t even realize it anymore!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to upload the new chapter yesterday, so sorry for that.  
> I hope you liked it, though, and I would be very happy if you left kudos/ a comment on this. 
> 
> All the love  
> Johanna


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Day 2, 04:57, Control Room

“We’re back from the headquarters with the latest updates and surely some gossip as well,” Toto says, looking surprisingly well-rested for the early hour of the day, but him and Christian got to have some sleep after all – quite in contrast to their drivers competing in the race.   
The Austrian also seems to become more comfortable with his new presenter-role, Christian finds.

“Gasly and Leclerc have only now reached the river with the bilibilis, while all other teams – excluding Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, as well as our rookie team – have reached the second Checkpoint and the biking stage already,” Christian continues, supporting his words by pointing at the map.

“Leclerc’s heatstroke definitely cost them a serious number of hours on our current lead team, Ricciardo-Verstappen, who have passed the bilibili building-section together with team Hamilton-Rosberg more than 6 hours ago.”

“Which doesn’t have to mean anything at this point of the race yet,” Toto says and wonders if Christian would actually like to see the Ferrari and the ex-Redbull driver fail.

“Surely not. But they’ll have a hard time catching up with the other teams ahead of them. Although team Hülkenberg-Magnussen and the rookies are struggling as well.”

“That’s right,” Toto admits, “looks like a bilibili isn’t made for three people.”   
“What could work in Pierre’s and Charles’ way, though, is the fact that the sun will be up in about an hour. Daylight will make navigating a lot easier,” Christian points out, frowning at the camera.

  
__

Day 2, same time, Team Pierre & Charles  
Position: on the way to Checkpoint #2

“You sure you’re okay?” Pierre asks, for about the hundredth time since they have gotten up, and Charles quietly rolls his eyes.  
“I said so, non?”   
“You did,” Pierre says, nodding, “but I want to be sure.”  
“Oui, I am sure, Pierre,” Charles confirms, only a tiny bit annoyed, and Pierre seems satisfied – at least for now.  
The Monégasque is sure that his teammate will ask him again in a couple of minutes.

The sun hasn’t risen yet but they barely need their head torches anymore, which makes the paddling a lot easier. They didn’t take much time building their raft, just praying that it will keep together and get them to the second checkpoint.  
There’s not much time for overthinking when you’re in the back, Charles thinks. Just like on a race track, it’s either about taking risks or falling behind.   
Nobody cares where exactly you finish, if you don’t score points.

And Charles isn’t sure yet whether or not he actually cares about this adventure-race, but finishing last isn’t something he wants to experience.  
He’s had enough bad days with Ferrari lately, he doesn’t need a whole bunch of them with the Eco-Challenge.

Pierre does seem to care about the race, which shouldn’t be much of a surprise, really. Pierre cares too much about things in general. That’s nothing new.   
Just thinking back at how Pierre looked after him the day before, when he had barely been able to walk, makes Charles uncomfortable now.

“Does your head still-…” Pierre starts and Charles cuts him off harshly.   
“No.”  
Pierre bites down on his lip and looks away.   
“No, it’s… it’s way better,” Charles adds, his voice softer now. He swallows a lump that has formed in his throat and paddles a little faster.   
The sooner they finish, the quicker it’s over.

__

Day 2, Team Kimi & Sebastian  
Position: on the way to checkpoint #3

“Oh, bikes!” Sebastian exclaims, excitement lighting up his eyes.   
“I love biking!”

“I know,” Kimi says and the German nudges his shoulder.  
“Come on, it’s better than paddling.”  
“Mh,” Kimi makes and doesn’t sound convinced.

“So, do you think-…” Sebastian wants to start, but the Finn is already shaking his head.  
“Not an option.”  
Sebastian’s eyes widen sulkily, “You don’t know what I want to say!”  
“I do,” Kimi assures, cleaning his sunglasses with his shirt. Why he needs sunglasses with no sun in the sky is beyond Seb, but he doesn’t push it.

“Yeah? What was it?” he asks, somewhat pissed off, with his arms crossed in front of his chest.  
“You want to pause here and wait until Charles and Pierre catch up with us.”   
“You… that’s not…”  
“It is.”  
Sebastian lets out a groan, throwing his hands up in the air.  
“Okay, it’s exactly what I wanted to propose. But I heard some of the crew talking about how he has a sunstroke!”

“He’s an adult, Seb.”  
“So what?”  
“You’re not his dad!”

  
__

“Are you drowning yet?” Alex calls, standing on his tiptoes to stop the water from soaking up his pants.

“Ha ha,” Lando makes, clearly not amused, and it makes George and Alex snicker.   
“Why is it always me?” the youngest of the trio continues to whine, drawing just another sound of amusement from his companions.

After hours of trying to fit all of them onto the bilibili without making it sink, they had eventually given up their tries about an hour ago, deciding that one of them would have to get into the water and swim/get pulled by the raft.

“Hey, don’t think you can blame this on us now,” George remarks, “we’ve played rock-paper-scissors, after all.”  
“And the both of you fucking cheated!” Lando calls, only his mouth, eyes and nose looking out of the water. Thank God the water isn’t cold. He just hopes there aren’t any dangerous animals in there.  
“How can you cheat on that game?” Alex asks, but he can’t quite hide his grin.

“You set me up!” Lando sounds a bit breathless and George and Alex paddle a little faster, maybe to silence their consciences.

Lando looks like a wet poodle by the time they finally reach Checkpoint #2.   
  
__

Day 2, 06:01, Team Lewis & Nico

The sun is just rising up behind in the direction of the ocean, a sparkling splash of gold, when they reach the third Checkpoint of the first leg of the race, which means the next stop will be Camp 1.  
They know, whatsoever, that it is still a long way to go there and that they probably won’t arrive before the late afternoon or the early evening.  
Moreover, they did not manage to overtake Dan and Max on the mountain bike track, which isn’t good for morale.

“Another boat?” Lewis hums and by now, he is not able to hide the exhaustion in his voice anymore, Nico thinks.   
He gives his former teammate a look to examine him.   
There is dirt all over his clothes and Nico knows he probably doesn’t look any better himself, but only with the light coming back with the sun, he can make out that Lewis has some pretty bad scratches on his hand and his underarm from when he fell off his bike earlier that night.

“Let me look at those scrapes,” he says and points at the Brit’s hands, who instinctively raises them to examine them himself.  
His gaze then wanders over to the German, an irritated look on his face.   
“Why, because you’ve graduated from med school since you’ve quitted?”

Nico sighs but reaches out his hand, anyway.   
“No, because we should make sure it doesn’t get infected. That could end pretty badly.”   
“I know that,” Lewis snaps and turns away from him, “I’ll let the medics have a look at it when we’re at the Camp.”

“That won’t be before the evening,” Nico says, starting to get annoyed by the Mercedes driver’s behaviour.   
“I’ll wash it with some water,” Lewis mumbles and gets a bottle from his bag.

“Next time we’re biking, you should put on your gloves,” Nico says dryly, “they didn’t put it in our bags for nothing.”

“You and your fucking love for gloves,” Lewis mutters and Nico knows he’s referring to his winning season, when he had his racing gloves re-adjusted to get rid of a seam that had disturbed his handling of the wheel.

“I wouldn’t have crashed if you hadn’t stopped like a lunatic, let’s not forget that,” the Brit reminds him and Nico feels a vein on his temple start pulsing.

“No, Lewis. You wouldn’t have crashed if you had kept your safety distance like any sane person would have done!”

Lewis looks over at him for a second, their eyes meeting. The Brit looks like he wants to say something but then decides against it, his gaze dropping.   
Nico wishes he knew what was going on inside of the other man’s head, thinking back of those times when he had been able to read the Brit effortlessly.   
He had known Lewis like the back of his own hand, had known his ways and his thoughts better than his own, but things had changed and he can’t do any of these things anymore.

Now he’s not even able to deduct the simplest things, like the fact that Lewis has apparently developed a mentorship with George, Alex and Lando.  
There are many things he feels like he has missed out on, things that he would have known in the past. He would have been able to read Lewis’ face and his thoughts, he would have known what the Brit thinks and what he wants.

When he looks at his former teammate now, he knows nothing.  
Doesn’t even know his favourite food anymore, or which songs he sings in the shower. Looking at Lewis, he sees a stranger where he used to see his best friend.  
That thought suddenly forces him to turn away as well, swallowing down the bitter taste that has spread in his mouth.

Time goes on, people change and some things are simply not meant to be. Things come and they go and it’s not for him to mess with that.  
That’s life and he’s accepted it.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stay safe people!  
> \- Johanna xx


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Day 2, Team Kevin & Nico  
Position: on the way to Checkpoint #2

“Hey! What’s wrong with you? Are you dumb?” Kevin asks and turns around to him, “Just follow my rhythm, is that hard to understand?”  
The look in the Dane’s eyes is burning, piercing Nico and he stares right back.

“I’ve told you you’re too slow!”  
“The fuck I am.”  
“Just like in the car! You can’t keep up!” Nico shoots back and watches the way Kevin’s eyes narrow. It’s amusing, really. A smirk starts playing on his lips.

“Is that funny to you?” Kevin asks, his voice a low growl.  
Nico shrugs his shoulders, licking his lips.  
“Is it funny to you that we’re losing this?” the Dane snarls, before an ironic tone creeps into his voice, “Sorry, I forgot you don’t even know what standing on a podium feels like.”

“Fuck you,” Nico spits out and Kevin just grins. God, how much he hates the guy.

The Dane is looking pretty ragged already, his blonde hair wild where it isn’t sticking to his skin. His beard is longer now than it used to be and with his shorts and his functional wear, he looks like one would probably expect an adventure-racer to look.  
Nico also has to admit that Kevin looks kinda hot, which he hates, but it’s true still.  
The smirk on the younger one’s lips doesn’t help, either, and Nico groans.

__

Day 2, 08:12, Control Room

“It’s impressive, really, to see how our lead teams have gotten so far ahead of the other teams already, although we’ve only been racing for a day,” Jenson says into the camera in the headquarters of the race, before he turns towards Christian and Toto.

“It may look like a lot, but I don’t think it’s that much, to be honest,” Toto says, one eyebrow shooting up.

“Do you guys think team Hamilton-Rosberg and Ricciardo-Verstappen will decide the win between them?” the Brit asks, shifting his weight from one leg to the other.

“Oh, I’m not sure yet,” Toto says, a hand touching his dark hair, “I think it’s too early to say anything about that. All four of them are looking good, for sure, but as you’ve said, it’s only the second day.”

Jenson nods, his gaze falling upon the Red Bull team principal, “What do you think, Christian?”

The fellow Brit scratches his head, “I trust Max with this one.”  
Toto seems to be a bit amused by his colleagues answer, smiling to himself.

“So what about you, Jenson?” the Austrian eventually asks and Jenson seems surprised by the question but then thinks about it for a moment.

“Tough one, man,” the former driver admits, “I’m tempted to say I’m sticking with the underdogs.”  
“Who would be the underdogs for you? Now that’s the question,” Christian comments and chuckles.  
Jenson grins, “Isn’t everyone, with a champion like Lewis Hamilton in this race?”

__

Day 2, 08:20, Team Daniel & Max

“You know, when I said I’m thinking of buying a boat…” Max starts, making sure Dan can hear him over the sound of the ocean, “this is definitely not what I had in mind.”

Rowing is better than paddling on a bilibili, Dan finds, but he gets Max still. They can count themselves lucky that none of them is seasick, as their rowing boat gets pushed up and down by the waves like a nutshell.

In contrast to the previous day, the sky is overcast today, the clouds dark grey and almost looking threatening in the distance.  
“This looks like a storm is coming up,” the Aussie points out and tilts his head in direction of the horizon.  
“I just hope it won’t catch us before we’ve reached the Camp.”  
“Hope so to,” Dan says and relaxes his arms for a short moment, anyway. Once he’s back home, he should definitely take arm-day a bit more serious.

“How’s it going for you?” Max asks when he sees Dan stretching, giving his own muscles a rest as well.  
“Oh, like shit,” Daniel says and clenches his teeth, but the grin never really disappears from his face.

“Your age is slowly coming after you,” Max teases and Dan turns around to hit him against his thigh.  
“Get stuffed,” the Aussie curses and the younger one just laughs at him.

It’s a laugh that the older driver never grows tired of, not since he has fallen for it all those years ago. It’s weird, really, how it still feels like Max is new in his life and maybe it’s because he is older than him and had years in F1 without the younger Dutch. But then again, when he thinks about it, it’s almost impossible to remember the days when Max hadn’t been around.

Their relationship had so naturally shifted from friends to something _more_ that Dan had never really had the chance to contemplate any of it. He feels drawn to the younger man in a way that he doesn’t understand, because Max is his best friend, his lover, his everything.

It had felt _natural_ to him and yet he knows that there has never been anything natural about their relationship to Max. Not with a father like Jos Verstappen.

Despite the years they have spent at each others’ sides, first at Red Bull as teammates, and now in different teams, and despite all these nights that they have shared a bed, Max has never mentioned it to his dad.  
Dan is sure that Jos Verstappen knows, anyway, must know with the things he keeps screaming at Max and which Dan overhears when Max isn’t quick enough to close doors or pause voice messages.

It pains Dan, it hurts in his chest like nothing has ever done because Max deserves so much _better_. He deserves people in his life that actually care about him and his feelings, not just about the number of trophies he brings home.  
Sometimes he’s scared that Max will wake up one day and view their relationship in the way that Jos does.

And while he tries to pretend that he doesn’t hear Max talking in his sleep, pretending he doesn’t hear him begging his father to forgive him for his sin, there is always that cold fear grabbing hold of him when he lulls Max back to sleep in his arms, telling him that he won’t go to hell for loving another man.

“I’m sure you’ll be completely grey after this race,” Max jokes and snaps Dan out of his thoughts. He suppresses the sudden urge to sigh and instead rolls his eyes at his boyfriend.  
“So what? It will make me hot like a summer day,” he grins and shows his teeth, now making _Max_ the one rolling his eyes.

“You’re overestimating yourself, mate.”  
“I am?” Daniel asks, smirking, while he leans back, holding Max’s gaze before he lets his glance drop, biting down on his bottom lip.  
When he sees a blush spreading on Max’s sour face, he lets his gaze drop even further, causing his grin to widen a little more.

The Aussie shoots the camera boat several metres ahead a look, before he leans in a little more, until his lips are almost touching Max’s ear.

“I’ll take care of that at the Camp,” he whispers and Max’s breath gets caught in his throat at the older one’s promise.  
Max looks up at him and Dan can see exactly how the Dutch debates whether or not he’s supposed to make a snarky reply. His mouth opens, but nothing comes out, and the younger one eventually looks away, his face flushed red.

“You know I’ll take good care of you, even when my hair turns grey,” Daniel smirks, falling back down onto his place.  
Fuck, he loves when Max is like this; flustered and horny and _a mess_.

“ _Dan_ ,” Max winces, with his gaze dropping to his lap.  
Dan knows that the microphones are good enough to catch their words if they don’t pay attention to the volume of their voices, so he does his best to keep his words as vague as possible.

“My, you really are just a teenager, aren’t ya?”  
Max glares at him and it would have been scary, really, if Max wasn’t sitting in front of him with a boner in his trekking pants.  
“Come on, it’s not that bad,” Daniel grins deviously, “it’s only another couple hours of rowing and whatever else they’ve come up with ‘til we’re at the Camp.”

Max stares back at him, his eyes barely visible from how narrowed they are, “Lovely. Simply, simply lovely.”

__

Day 2, 09:45, Team Pierre & Charles

Pierre is honestly surprised by how quick they make it to checkpoint number 2 and the mountain bikes, when the crew tells them that they aren’t too far behind the teams in fifth and sixth position. He does feel powerful and rested today, though, and while Charles’ sunstroke has definitely cost them time, it has also forced them to get some rest and face the bilibili section in the daytime.

However, they are reminded by someone who’s measuring the time, that the cutoff time for the first Camp is 24:00. If they won’t have made it there by then, their race will be over. And there are still more than 60 km they have to travel today, whilst they don’t exactly know their ways of transportation yet and therefore can’t estimate long it will take them to get there.

Charles seems to be in a better mood today as well (which is natural, considering he had been suffering from overheating on the previous day). The Monégasque doesn’t complain as much as he did yesterday and Pierre takes that as a good sign, although he still doubts that his friend even wants to be here.  
He knows that Charles is a competitor, just like all of them are, but he is also spoiled (again, just like _all_ of them are, in a way, but Charles has been brought up in goddamn _Monaco_ , so there’s that).  
He’s somewhat afraid that the younger one will just pull out of the race at some point, while Pierre really wants to finish it.  
His first win of the career has made him feel like anything is possible, even in a team that no one expects to win, so why give up on him and Charles before anything’s decided?

But Pierre is not stupid, he had seen the way Charles’ face had dropped when the teams had been announced and it had felt like someone had punched him in the guts.  
He is sure that Charles would have preferred being teamed with Lando or maybe Seb and it had _hurt_ , because Pierre would _always_ choose Charles over any other person.

And he has also noticed how Charles has been reserved around him all day. He really doesn’t get what is going on inside the Monégasque’s head sometimes. He wishes he knew, though, that way he could tell what it is that they have going on between them. Has been going on for a couple of months now.  
But every time he tries to ask Charles about it, the younger man draws back from him and changes the topic or distracts Pierre in other ways and it’s not like Pierre minds those tactics much, but he also knows that this isn’t healthy for them in the long run.  
Or specifically his heart, that is.

Was it a mistake that they had taken their friendship to another level? Whatever it is that they are having, this _amis avec des advantages_ that they have going on, is nowhere near an actual relationship.  
Pierre doesn’t know if Charles is seeing other people – he probably is – and he has never had the guts to ask the Monégasque about it, either. It’s not like Charles has asked him, for the matter.

So is this what Charles’ behaviour might be about? Does he regret what they’ve started and now can’t find a way to tell Pierre he wants to go back to just being friends?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another monday already...  
> don't mind them much during the semester holidays, though. 
> 
> Stay home, stay safe, enjoy this fic and stay healthy :)  
> \- Johanna xx
> 
> (PS: please leave kudos if you've liked this)


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Day 2, 12:00, Control Room  
**

* * *

“Our lead team Ricciardo-Verstappen has been out on that ocean for a good 6 hours now and they are finally reaching the first hidden-medallion of the race!” Jenson exclaims in excitement, while the screen next to him is showing a sunken wooden canoe on the bed of the ocean.  
Luckily, it is not Max’s and Dan’s boat, but one that has been dropped off by the crew, to hide away the first medallions the teams will have to collect.

The golden medallions are 15cm in diameter and solid, with a hole in the middle, so they can be stacked upon each other on a pole that is mounted on the sunken canoe under the surface of the ocean.   
The spot is close to the shore, where the race will continue with another trekking path, which means the canoe is located not too low. It’s a dive of about 10 metres, Toto presumes.

“We can only hope that our teams won’t have lost their breaths on the way here, or otherwise picking up the first medallion might become a difficult task for some,” the Austrian adds and Jenson nods in agreement.

__

**Day 2, 12:08, Team Daniel and Max**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #1  
**

* * *

Dan has jumped out of their boat before Max even gets the chance to ask who of them will take it upon themselves to get that medallion.   
Dan’s straight dive makes water splash into the boat and Max lets out a shriek, immediately leaning over the edge of their rowing boat to see how Dan is doing.

The water is almost crystal clear in Fiji and he can see Daniel swimming towards the ground with powerful strokes.   
The Dutch can make out an object on the bed of the ocean, although he isn’t sure what it is.   
It seems to be pretty far away and he hopes Daniel can make it all the way down there.

But Dan is a water-boy, so he has faith in him.

The Aussie does reappear on the surface a short time after, with a big grin plastered on his face. He shakes his head to get the water out of his dark curls, while he presses something cold into Max’s hands.

“Got it!” Dan declares and beams at him, “and we’re definitely in the lead, I’ve counted them.”  
Max smirks at that, turning the golden medallion in his hand before he tugs it away safely in his backpack.

Dan then tries to heave himself back into the boat and almost flips them over by doing so.   
“I think you need some help,” Max comments in amusement and the Aussie looks up at him.   
“Yeah.”

They manage to get Daniel back into the boat without throwing it over, eventually, with lots of pulling and laughing.

__

**Day 2, 17:45, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: reaching Camp 1  
**

* * *

Lewis is more than just relieved when they finally reach the first Camp of the race after nearly two days of constant exercise without any sleep. Not so much because his body hurts and his eyes seem to flutter shut any second, but rather because he can’t wait to spend some time without Nico by his side.

Camp #1 is set up on a glade in the jungle, which they have reached after a couple of hours of hiking, once they had secured their first medallion.   
In contrast to the checkpoints they have passed before, the Camp contains more tents and accommodations for the crew, as well as facilities to shower and interviewing areas.

It’s still relatively early but it’s not like time seems to have a meaning anymore, while the sun is already starting to set again. He’s just glad that instead of biking or paddling in the dark, he will get to rest for a while, if only for a couple of hours.

The Brit is actually surprised when Toto suddenly appears, stepping out of a tent close by. Apparently, they have flown him in with one of the helicopters that he spots a little further away.  
A camera team is following his team principal with lighting equipment and Lewis wishes he could hide away from the responsibility, but considering the Adventure race is for charity, it’s only logical that they will want to hear about their experiences first hand.

“Lewis,” Toto greets him, a smile on his face.  
“Nico,” the Austrian then adds, his gaze falling on the German who’s trotting behind Lewis.

“You’re responsible for this?” Lewis asks through gritted teeth, quiet enough to give the cameras the impression that he is smiling back at his boss.   
The look Toto gives him is only a tiny bit guilty, while the Austrian looks mostly pleased with himself, and Lewis gives him a dark look, hoping that the older man knows he’ll probably regret his decision soon.

“I’m super happy to see you,” Toto says, “impressive performance from you two, really.”  
The Mercedes boss says something to Nico in German, which Lewis doesn’t understand, and it makes his ex-teammate laugh, causing Lewis’ eyes to narrow.

“We’re not in the lead, are we?” Lewis mumbles and Toto gives him that look, the one that says that he shouldn’t be too harsh with themselves, and Lewis is close to rolling his eyes. If he hadn’t always been hard on himself, he wouldn’t have won six championships, he thinks.

“Are you ready to do a quick interview with me?” Toto asks, a frown now appearing on his face, as if he is already anticipating the answers of his champions.

“Is there an alternative?” Nico asks and his voice sounds light-hearted and smooth. Charming.  
Lewis bites down on the inside of his cheek.

They drop their bags right where they are standing, after another member of the crew assures them that they will clean their stuff and bring it back to them.  
Toto then gives signs to follow him further into the camp, to where lights and a few other cameras have already been set up.

Lewis and Nico sit down on two chairs in silence, keeping several feet of safety distance between them. Toto clears his throat with a cough and sits down opposite of them.

“Before we start, let’s make it official; congratulations, you’re reached the next leg of the race by reaching the camp 6 hours ahead of the cutoff time.”

Both Lewis and Nico just nod at Toto and the Austrian clears his throat once again.

“So, does anyone of you want to tell me about your first two days of racing?” the Mercedes boss asks and Lewis shoots Nico a quick glance. From the corners of his eyes he can see that Nico is already leaning forward in his seat a little, running a hand through his now longer blond hair to make sure it’s in place.   
The Brit suppresses the sudden urge to snort.

“It has really been tough, Toto,” Nico says and he has that tone in his voice, the one that screams _hey, look at me, I’m super authentic and down-to-earth_.  
 _Bullshit_ , Lewis thinks, and grits his teeth.

“I mean, you really get to understand why this is the toughest race in the world, right?” Nico says and suddenly sounds so excited that Lewis would think the German had the time of his life, hadn’t he been with him all the time.   
But Nico is in media-mode right now, which means he doesn’t exactly _lie_ – it’s just that he’s not honest either and he doesn’t even seem to realize what he’s doing. Or maybe he does. Lewis has never been able to see it through.

He tries not to look over at the German too obviously, for he’s sure that the cameras would pick up on the anger that is suddenly burning inside of him, but even from where he’s sitting, he can see the sparkle suddenly lighting up Nico’s green eyes and it drives him _mad_.

“And how do you feel, Lewis?” Toto asks and Lewis almost jumps when he’s snapped out of his trance like that.

“I’ve had better company,” he answers, despite knowing it’s once again childish behaviour, but it gives him a certain kind of satisfaction that while Nico has been trying to sugar-coat the racing experience of them two together, he is not playing that card. And it’s the truth, really, so there is no reason to feel sorry about saying it out loud.

Toto stares at him in silence for a couple of seconds, the sigh not leaving his lips but hovering in the air between the three of them, anyway.

“Well, you two did manage to arrive the camp as one of the lead teams, less than an hour behind Verstappen and Ricciardo,” he eventually continues, his gaze wandering back and forth between the former teammates.

“Second place is the first loser,” is what Lewis has to say on it and it leaves him feeling just as bitter as his words must have sounded. It’s the motto he used to live by a few years ago, just like Nico has surely done as well, but times have changed since then and it’s not really what he believes, anymore.   
And _yet_ , he cannot accept not being in the lead now that Nico’s here, while it’s not even the German that he is competing _against_.

“Some would say that crossing the finish line is the most important goal for an Eco-Challenge,” Toto remarks and Lewis wants to scream when he sees Nico nod in agreement next to him.   
What a fucking imposter.

“To finish first, you have to finish first,” Nico brings back the old proverb and Lewis is just a millisecond away from rolling his eyes once again. Or getting up and leaving.

“What is your aim for this adventure race, then? Apart from winning?” Toto asks him, his face actually interested and attentive.   
Lewis looks back at his boss, suddenly having to think of all the people looking up to him that will be watching this. He doesn’t want the only thing they see of him to be how bitter he is over being teamed with Nico fucking Rosberg.

He closes his eyes for just a second, collecting his thoughts.

“I believe that challenges – not just this race, but everything in life – is about rising up. Life will test you and push you to your limits and you can either quit or you can grow from it. I’m convinced that you’re always the master of your faith… that we’re always the captains of our souls,” he makes a small pause, to breathe, “So you’ve got to find what scares you. You’ve got to find that point that makes you think ‘I can’t keep going, I’m gonna quit’. And then you’ve got to laugh right in this situation’s face and do it anyway.”

Toto seems to be somewhat stunned by his extensive answer and Lewis can hear Nico draw in a deep breath next to him, before the Austrian smiles at him.   
“That was beautifully said, Lewis.”   
“Thanks, man.”

“Yeah, what can I add to that?” Nico asks quietly and his chuckle is almost soft.

Toto looks away from them for a moment, a finger coming up to touch the in-ear-headphones he is wearing.   
It’s not hard to guess that someone is telling him about the questions he is supposed to ask.  
When the Mercedes team principal eventually looks back at them, Lewis immediately has to frown at him upon the apologetic look that has appeared on the Austrian’s face.

“Do you…” Toto starts but trails off, reaching for a glass of water that is standing next to the camping chair he is sitting in, “do you think you’ll cope with sharing a tent?”

Lewis almost chokes on the breath he has just taken in, gaping at his boss.

“We’ve got to do _what_ now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's Thursday which means there is a new chapter of the Adventure Fic!  
> It's also race week, which means I'll upload a new chapter of "Bottled Up" soon :)
> 
> Wow, this year's silly season really hits different, huh?   
> I'm a bit confused by all the announcements and theories atm and I'd like to know which driver pairing you'd love to see in a team in the future? 
> 
> Apart from that, it would mean the world to me if you left kudos/ a comment on this fic.  
> All the love and stay healthy,  
> Johanna xx


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> content warning; light smut ;)

**Chapter 11**

**Day 2, 18:18, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: at Camp #1  
**

* * *

“No way,” Lewis says, shaking his head rapidly, which sends his small braids that he has worn in a tail all day flying.  
“No _fucking_ way,” the Brit makes clear, staring down his boss.

Nico is watching the scene from where he is still sitting on his camping chair in the interviewing area, his gaze wandering back and forth between his two ex-colleagues.

He is not sure if the cameras are still recording and it is not like Lewis seems to care about that, anyway.

“I’m not sharing a tent with him,” Lewis is currently making clear, his voice iron.  
“It is part of the Eco-challenge,” Toto says, in a voice as calm as possible, while everyone knows that Lewis will eat him up alive for it.  
“The fuck it is,” Lewis shoots back, his eyes lighting up in anger.

“I did not make the rules, Lewis,” Toto explains and raises his hands, “it’s the same for every team.”  
The look the Brit sends into the direction of his boss is murderous. Nico is not sure what has happened between the two of them, but he is a bit surprised by just _how_ angry Lewis is at the Austrian.  
While he is used to Lewis being angry at him, he knows it is not the normal way for the Brit to act.  
Maybe he will get something out of Toto later.

“You’ve got nothing to say on this, man?” Lewis suddenly snaps and it takes Nico a few seconds until he realizes that he is the one being addressed.

“If it’s part of the race…” he starts and knows it’s the wrong thing to say when Lewis’ glare basically burns him alive.  
“You really can’t agree with me on _anything_ , can you?” the Brit asks and sounds bitter, “Toto is probably sleeping in some 5-stars resort tonight.”  
“That’s why I’m not competing…”  
“I know,” Lewis says and takes a deep breath, “I don’t mind camping, I mind Nico.”

For the blink of an eye, there is amusement playing on Toto’s lips, but he is able to hide it soon enough before Lewis could have caught it.

“See. There are rules. You can either follow the rules or refuse to do that. In that case, you’re both out of the race,” Toto says and just from the way his voice has changed, Nico is sure that he’s getting these instructions through his headphones now.

Lewis turns away from them, obviously trying to collect himself.

“It’s not like we’re forcing you to… I don’t know,” Toto says and his voice is quieter now, only talking to Lewis, “it’s just a tent. There’s space.”  
“I know,” Lewis keeps repeating and Nico wishes things would just work easily for once.

__

**Day 2, 18:30, Team Daniel & Max  
**

* * *

Dan is sitting in their tent in the lotus position, his curls fluffy from washing them, and he is wearing an oversized white shirt that reaches down to his naked thighs. Max’s eyes trail over the tattoos he has inspected so many times before but never grows tired of.

The Australian lets out a yawn, his mouth opening widely, while he stretches his arms and the muscles of his neck.  
It’s fully dark outside by now and a camping lamp illuminates their mats and sleeping bags.

“I’ll shut it off, ‘kay?” Dan asks and reaches for the lamp. A second later, the inside of their tent is tilted in darkness and Max has to blink, until his eyes eventually adjust to the dim light.  
“I think I’m gonna fall asleep any second,” Dan mumbles and yawns another time, while Max can hear him shuffling with the sleeping bag.  
He thinks it is too warm to sleep inside one, though, so he just lays down on his mat and kicks his own towards his feet.  
They have positioned their mats as close as possible, which is why Max can feel Dan’s breath on his skin now that they are facing each other.

“Didn’t you want to… you know…” Max starts and Dan’s chuckle blows warm air against his face.  
“Are you seriously thinking of fucking right now?” Daniel asks and Max scoots a little closer to the Aussie.  
“You’re unbelievable,” Dan mutters while Max reaches out to slip a hand under Dan’s oversized shirt. The Australian’s skin is warm against his and he lets his fingers wander over the older one’s defined muscles, his fingertips following the lines of Daniel’s chest.  
The Aussie hums in satisfaction at the touch, but it does not stop another yawn from dropping from his lips.

“I can’t believe I’m dating a horny teenager,” the Aussie jokes and Max lets his teeth sink down onto the sensitive skin of Daniel’s neck.  
“I’m not a teenager,” Max whispers and bites down gently, an almost reluctant moan now bubbling up Dan’s throat.  
His fingers are gently stroking Dan’s sides, that spot where he can feel Dan’s ribs under his skin. The Australian’s body is particularly smooth there and _fuck_ , Max might be just a _little bit_ obsessed with that part of the other man.  
And Daniel just _knows_ it, so he quietly laughs against Max’s hair, his hand holding onto the Dutchman’s shoulder.

“Max, my whole body is hurting right now,” Dan tries to sound reasonable, like the fully grown up he is, but the younger one doesn’t fall for it.  
“Well, then let me make it up to you,” he mumbles against his boyfriend’s neck and pushes up the other man’s shirt, so he can place a kiss against his stomach.  
He feels Daniel shiver underneath him and he smirks against his body, nibbling on his skin.

“Please… Dan? Pretty please?” Max asks, knowing damn well that Dan is miserable at saying no to him. And it’s not like Daniel isn’t half-hard against his thigh now.  
“I can make it good for you,” Max whispers in a promise and he knows he can, while what he actually craves is for Daniel to flip them over and pin him to the mat.

“ _Dan_ ,” he repeats again, a bit breathless, and he can sense the exact moment when the older one gives in.  
“Nothing that will leave any of us sore tomorrow,” Daniel says, setting the terms. Max would take about anything from him, at that point, if it just means that the older one will touch him.  
“Mhh,” he hums against Dan’s skin in reply, when Dan’s hand is suddenly on his jaw, forcing him to come back up.  
Dan’s kiss is surprisingly passionate for someone that has claimed to be on the brink of falling asleep just a minute ago. But Max doesn’t complain, letting Dan take the lead while he opens his lips a little further.  
His hand is still on Dan’s side while his grip tightens a little, now that Dan’s tongue is making him tremble in anticipation. His former teammate smiles against his lips for a second, before his hand slips down Max’s back and under the waistband of his shorts. The Dutch’s hips buck against Daniel’s when the Aussie’s fingers squeeze his butt and he can’t stop himself from breathlessly moaning into Dan’s mouth, lacking oxygen from their kiss.

Max is basically straddling Daniel now, with both of his knees coming down onto the Aussie’s camping mat at the sides of Dan’s legs and he would have been ashamed by how he’s rutting against the other man, if this was anyone but his boyfriend.  
The hand that has been on his butt just seconds before now reaches down between them and Max’s free hand grips onto Daniel’s shoulder tightly, steading himself while his back arches.  
He needs to bite down on his lip to stop himself from making too much noise and he can feel how it turns Dan on, the Australian’s breath coming faster now.

When Max comes, he feels his toes curl and he’s sure that his hands are leaving bruises on Dan’s skin from how tightly he’s holding onto him, hiding his face away against the chest of his boyfriend to muffle the moan he cannot hold back any longer.  
Dan’s hips buckle up and since he is still hyper-sensitive, it makes him shiver once again. Dan comes with his hand in Max’s hair, his fingers curling into it, and Max hugs the older one tightly while they are both panting, catching their breaths and coming down from the high they have just experienced.

Dan has both of his arms wrapped around Max’s back, who is still lying half on top of him.  
The Dutch cuddles into his boyfriend’s arms, placing a soft kiss against Dan’s lips.

“That was hot,” Max mumbles and Dan’s chest vibrates under him, while he takes a tissue from him.  
“It’s what I do to people,” Daniel says in his broadest Aussie accent, the one that is particularly strong in the afterglow.

Max closes his eyes and turns his head, so his cheek is now resting on Dan’s chest. He can hear the older one’s heart beating just under his ear and he feels how it calms him down, slowly lulling him to sleep.  
In Dan’s arms, he feels safe, feels like there is no evil in the world and he knows that as long as he is with the Australian, nothing bad will ever happen to him. He is drifting off now and barely registers how Dan strokes his hair, placing a kiss on top of his head.

“I love you, Maxy,” Daniel whispers, “I love so fucking much.”  
Max falls asleep with a smile on his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm apologizing for this chapter being shorter than the others, but I wanted to finish this chapter at that point.  
> It also means the next chapter will be longer than usual :)
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's reading this story, it's super fun to write and takes up all my time atm. So there is muuuuch more to come.
> 
> All the love,  
> Johanna xx


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Day 2, 19:00, Control Room  
**

* * *

“Look who is here with us today!” Jenson’s smile reaches all the way up to his ears and Christian thinks it’s a bit creepy, being honest.

“We’ve got a special guest from Spain joining us today!”

It’s Fernando Alonso stepping into the headquarters and waving into the camera, because _of course_ it is. Christian thinks it is 1) unnecessary and 2) a waste of resources that the producers have flown the ex- and soon-to-be-again driver in.

But Jenson looks seriously happy to see the other man and Christian gives Fernando a look.  
He looks more relaxed than he remembered him and he would have said that retirement looks good on him but _well_. People like Fernando Alonso never truly retire, apparently.

__

**Day 2, same time, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: Camp #1  
**

* * *

When Toto had tried to calm him down by saying that technically, their tent is big enough to fit in three people, the Austrian had either been lying or the tent’s fabricators were assuming people to be really, really small.  
Because that is just what the tent is; it looks tiny to Lewis and even tinier since he has to share it with Nico and it takes him all of his willpower to actually get inside the tent instead of turning on his heels and walking away.

Nico has taken a shower before him, so he is already sitting on his camping mat, freshly washed and with rosy skin. The smell of his shampoo fills the whole tent, a scent like a spring-day on a field of flowers, with just the right amount of something earthy.  
It makes Lewis want to throw up immediately.

It also smells of _tent_ , that unique scent of synthetic material, and it’s a mixture he wouldn’t have thought to ever smell again.

Nico has ignored him until he has eventually closed the entrance behind him, only then looking up.   
“Where do you want to sleep?” the German asks and Lewis is taken aback by his question, staring at him perplexed.   
“You’ve already arranged your mat, man,” he says and gives Nico’s ground pad an explicit look.

The blond draws in his bottom lip and nods.  
“Yes. I… wasn’t sure if you’d rather… sleep on the left, though.”  
He is stumbling over his own words and Lewis frowns at him.  
“Why would I care?”

Nico blinks up at him, a shadow ghosting over his face, and when Lewis understands why the German has asked, he feels something inside of him twist.

“I don’t sleep on the left anymore,” he snaps at his former teammate and Nico’s gaze drops immediately, his shoulders tensing up.  
“Okay,” is all he says and something in Lewis’ chest keeps clenching.

He doesn’t tell Nico that he’s now sleeping in the middle of all the beds he owns, that he hasn’t been forced to permanently decide a side ever since… ever since.

So he tells himself to get a grip and swallows down the bitterness, unrolling his own camping mat at the other side of the tent.   
Even though it is small, he tries to maximize the distance between his mat and Nico’s, leaving an empty stripe of ground sheet between them.   
He unrolls his sleeping bag next, although he doubts that he will need it, before he starts inflating the pillow they’ve been given.

He feels Nico’s gaze on him the entire time and it makes his skin itch and causes his fingers to get clumsy, failing to close the valve of the inflatable pillow more than once.  
He eventually lays down on his mat, feeling how the muscles of especially his back tense up almost painfully, while he waits for them to relax again.  
It is dark in the tent, except for a flashlight, and Lewis turns onto his side, facing the wall.

When Nico coughs quietly, he instantly knows that the German is about to ask him something, and he feels how his hands form fists under the light fabric of the sleeping bag.  
“What is it?” he asks before the younger one even gets the chance to say something and he can hear Nico draw in a sharp breath as a consequence.

“Did you bring a phone?” he asks quietly and Lewis immediately has to frown at the question.  
“We were told not to bring one,” he tells the German, although he’s sure he knows already, “so no, I didn’t.”

Nico is quiet at that, and in his silence seems to lie disappointment that makes Lewis curious.  
He waits a couple of seconds, before he turns on his side to give the other man a brief look.   
“Why, are you waiting for a call from a lover?” he asks, knowing damn well just how pathetically cynical he sounds, and Nico’s eyes widen at his question.

“What?” the German asks, perplexed, and shakes his head.   
“Of course not.”

“Why do you need a phone then?”   
Nico stares back at him, as if he’s contemplating how much he can reveal to him. It’s crazy, really, Lewis thinks. How far they’ve come.

Nico’s gaze eventually softens a little bit and his gaze drops to his lap.   
“I didn’t know we’re not alone to bring phones when I left, and I told my daughters I’d call them from the Camps.”

Lewis is surprised by the German’s answer and now he almost feels bad for being so cynical seconds before.   
“Oh,” he makes, and it sometimes still escapes from his mind that Nico is a father now. Has been for a while. It’s not something that suits the image that he has of the German and moreover, it is something he tries not to think about too much.  
He knows it’s better for him if he doesn’t go down that road.

Nico’s daughters are adorable, they really are, and when he’s in Monaco, he sees them playing in the garden shared by their apartment complex from time to time.   
But seeing Nico around children that look like him, with their blonde hair and pretty eyes, and seeing them call the German “Papa”, with their arms around his neck, is a view that Lewis tries to avoid.  
He would rather have someone use his stomach as a punching bag.

He closes his eyes and rolls on his back, then staring up at the roof of the tent.

“You miss them?” he asks and it’s probably the first decent question he has directed at his former teammate since they have arrived on Fiji.  
Nico’s answer is immediate, “Yes.”  
They lie next to each other in silence for a few minutes, before Lewis speaks up again.

“I’m sure they miss you too.”  
It takes a few seconds before Nico replies this time, “I hope they do. I rarely see them these days.”  
Lewis bites down on his bottom lip to stop himself from telling the younger one that it is _his_ choice to travel as much as he does.   
“You could do less media jobs,” he says instead, trying his best not to sound too lecturing.

“I try to schedule my jobs for those weeks that Vivian has the kids,” Nico says into the dark and Lewis’ eyes fly open.   
It’s quiet in the tent for _one… two… three…_ heartbeats and Lewis’ throat is suddenly tight.   
“Why?” is the only thing that comes out of his mouth in the end. He’s sure that Nico knows what it is that he means, anyway.

“We split up,” Nico says and Lewis freezes, the words reaching his ears but not quite his brain. He can hear how Nico is shifting on his mat, maybe to look at him, and it makes his head spin.   
“When?” he asks, another single-worded question that his brain produces.  
“A while ago,” Nico replies, quietly, “it was… complicated.”

And fucking hell, Lewis knows damn well how complicated things were.   
And it suddenly makes him feel helpless that Nico is just dropping that information on him like a bomb, while the German should know – _has to know_ – that it has the potential to shatter Lewis’ whole world, to shatter each and everything he had thought to believe over the last years, when he had told himself again _and again_ that Nico would never, not in this lifetime and not in another, leave his wife, no matter what he would do.

And now he’s just spilling it to Lewis like it’s nothing, like it’s just another headline about the German world-champion and like it is nothing that touches on Lewis’ life at all.

He lays still on his spot without moving a single muscle, listening to Nico’s breathing and only when he is entirely sure that the former Mercedes driver has fallen asleep, he dares to turn his back on the blonde, letting sleep wash over him.

__

**Day 2, 19:30, Control Room  
**

* * *

“So, just to make clear the rules once again,” Christian starts and both Jenson and Fernando shoot him attentive glances, “while in the original Eco-Challenge, the teams need to take a mandatory rest period of 90 minutes at the camp, we have extended that for our drivers.”  
  
Jenson nods and takes over from there, “All teams have to stay at the Camp for 6 hours to get some rest. We’ve got to make sure that they’ll still be able to drive their cars by the end of this.”  
He winks into the camera that is zooming in on Fernando at the moment.

“This means teams will not lose their time advantages, no?” the Spaniard asks and Jenson gives a nod in agreement.  
“Exactly. However, our teams are free to stay at the camp for longer than the mandatory 6 hours, if they decide a longer rest period might be a good investment into the upcoming days.”

“Or if they require medical attention, as Charles Leclerc did just yesterday,” Christian chimes in.

“So with the time advantages that our leading team, Ricciardo-Verstappen, has at the moment, it might be a clever move to get a little more sleep at the Camp to get an energy surplus.”

Fernando tilts his head, “But they could risk being overtaken by Rosberg and Hamilton, sí.”

“Yes, that’s a serious threat to their lead. We’ll have to see if our teams choose wisely.”

  
__

**Day 2, 19:32, Team Daniil & Lance**   
**Position: Camp #1  
**

* * *

The leader board at the Camp tells Lance that him and Daniil are the fourth team to arrive at the first camp of the race, with only Rosberg-Hamilton, Ricciardo-Verstappen and Raikkonen-Vettel arriving before them.   
He’s rather content with their position in the race, a strong midfield result putting him in a positive and optimistic mood for the upcoming days.

He doesn’t mind the interview they are asked to give much, as he’s never really struggled to speak to the media. However, he had had to learn a lesson or two about what to say and what not to say a certain way since his debut in Formula 1, as having a dad own a racing team might make a lot of things easier, but double the struggles with the press.

Daniil, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to like talking too much – neither to him, nor the interviewer – and Lance figures it’s just not in the Russian’s nature.  
Whenever he had tried to make conversation with the older driver over the last two days, it had been hard to get more than just a couple of words out of the other man.

Daniil looks tired where he is now sitting in front of a tent, under an improvised lamppost, while he is eating a soup. He looks somewhat content, too, and Lance gets himself a bowl as well to join his new teammate.

He thinks they make a bit off an odd pair and he can picture the other teams talking about them and how they probably don’t stand a chance, but racing with Daniil has been actually pleasant so far, the Canadian has to admit.  
As hard headed as some of the Russian’s moves on track might have been in the past, he seems to be quite the opposite in this adventure racing, approaching each task with logic and calmness.   
Lance has quickly learned that the older one is not to be underestimated and that he’s smart, with a natural talent of navigating and finding the right course.

The Canadian himself, who has always had a bit of a struggle with finding the correct way when he’s in a new place he hasn’t visited before, can’t deny he’s impressed by the other man’s skills and maybe, if he won’t scare Daniil off, he will get to learn it from him.

They eat their soups in silent, as they have spent the majority of the last two days, but it is not unpleasant. Most of the other guys in the paddock barely stop talking even if they are told to and Lance actually thinks it’s nice not to be forced into small talk for once. It amuses him a bit, though.

__  
  


**Day 2, 20:00, Team Kimi & Seb**   
**Position: Camp #1  
**

* * *

“Toto told me that Charles has recovered from his sunstroke,” Sebastian tells Kimi while he is preparing his sleeping place for the night. He has always loved camping, ever since he was a little kid, and there is just something uniquely cosy about sleeping in a tent, he finds.

“They had to stay at the checkpoint for the night, though, so they lost a lot of time,” he continues, while Kimi is putting off his sunglasses for what seems to be the first time in the race.   
Sebastian crawls into his sleeping bag, excited to snuggle up in it, while he inspects the camping mat. It’s a bit hard on the sandy ground under the tent, but it’s fine for him.  
He is just a bit worried about Kimi’s back, as he knows that the Finn prefers softer mattresses.

“I really hope they’ll make it to the camp within the cutoff time,” he rambles, sliding further into the sleeping back that gets tangled around his legs. Kimi doesn’t even seem to bother with it, as his is still rolled up by the entrance of the tent. Sebastian frown at that.  
“Don’t you think you’ll get cold tonight?”

Kimi shoots him a glance.   
“I’m finish,” he says, his voice as monotone as ever, “this is Fiji.”

“Right,” Sebastian says, before his thoughts come back to Charles and Pierre.  
“Do you think they’ll make it?” he asks his former Ferrari teammate and Kimi seems to be a bit confused at the question.

“Make what?”  
Sebastian frowns, “The cutoff time! Are you not listening to me?”  
“Oh,” Kimi says, shrugging his shoulders and looking about as unbothered as a person can look, “maybe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm feeling like a piece of shit today after reading the domestic abuse allegations against Alexander Zverev, realizing what a horrible person he apparently is, but uploading this new chapter made me happy, so here you go <3
> 
> all the love & stay healthy,  
> Johanna xx


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Day 2, 22:14, Team Alex & Lando & George  
**

* * *

“No way!” Alex says, staring at the ranking board in front of him, “we’re last!”   
“Seriously?” George asks, squeezing past the other Brit, “when did that happen?”  
“I don’t know!” Alex replies, sounding upset, “we definitely weren’t last at the previous checkpoint, were we?”  
Lando pushes past his boyfriends, securing his own spot in front of the board in the middle of the other two drivers, “I didn’t even see Charles and Pierre passing us!”   
“This sucks,” Alex mumbles, chewing on his bottom lip. Lando only nods in agreement.  
George, who looks pissed himself, leans over and wraps his arms around the other two men, clapping their backs in encouragement.

“At least we’ve made it here. And we collected our first medallion, that’s something!”  
“Yeah,” Alex says but doesn’t sound too happy about it, “but we’re last!”  
“We’re even behind Hulk and Kevin!”  
“That’s embarrassing, really, guys,” Alex mutters and George gives his boyfriend’s neck a quick squeeze.

The leader board doesn’t just give the rankings but also the times when the other teams arrived at the Camp.  
“Look, Dan and Max came here more than four hours ago! They’re allowed to move on in two hours!”  
“Relax, we’ll work our way up slowly. Plus, you don’t know when Dan and Max will start their race again. They might rest longer than the mandatory time.”  
“Yeah, which is something we definitely won’t be able to afford. The second six hours are up…” Lando checks his watch, “which is at 4am, we’ve got to get going.”  
His boyfriends nod in agreement.

__

**Day 2, same time, Control Room  
**

* * *

“With Geroge, Alex and Lando, our last team has reached the first Camp. Which means it’s official to say that all teams have made it to the second leg of the race. “  
The camera turns towards Jenson and Fernando, sitting inside the headquarters. Christian isn’t there anymore, since his shift is over for now.

“That was pretty close, no?” Fernando says, a dark eyebrow rising up to his hair line.   
“With the cutoff time?” the Brit inquires and the Spaniard looks over at him.   
“Sí.”  
Jenson shrugs his shoulders, “I think we’ll see our teams struggle way more with the cut off in the future. It wasn’t _that_ close, was it?”

Fernando reveals his teeth when he grins, “And they will be more tired with days going on.”

“Right. They will feel every muscle in their body,” he grins back at the Spaniard and blushes when Fernando winks at him.   
Jenson clears his throat with a cough, looking down at the notes he’s made in his hands, in order to collect his thoughts.

“Let’s get back to Toto and hear about our drivers’ experiences first hand, shall we?” he asks and the camera cuts to Camp #1, a few hundred kilometres of racing away.

__

**Day 2, same time, Toto Wolff**   
**Position: Camp #1  
**

* * *

“Thank you, Jenson,” Toto says into the microphone that is attached to the collar of his button-down shirt, which feels inconvenient for the tropical jungle around them.   
He hears the Brit at the headquarters say something else over his headphones, before a crew member signals him that it is now time to begin with the interview.

Being the one asking the questions instead of having to give the answers as he does on race weekends is still something that he has to get used to, but he finds he’s doing considerably well so far. From time to time, it is a bit haltering and then he needs to rely on what the team is prompting via the radio, but generally speaking, he is doing okay, he thinks.  
If it’s not Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg he needs to interview, that is.

Thinking back of his former duo, he feels a certain sense of nostalgia wash over him. Working with those two guys had been hell – no need to sugar coat it – but it had also been the most intense time for him as a team principal.   
Lewis and Nico had been like cats and dogs, only that they had completed each other in a way he had not seen in two other drivers before or after.   
They had known each other’s strength and weaknesses up to the point where winning races had sometimes been more about psychology than actual driving skills.

It is also a memory that leaves him feeling guilty, from time to time. He knows it is not his fault that things evolved in the way they did, but he still can’t help thinking that when Nico and Lewis came to Mercedes, they were the best of friends and when they parted ways as teammates years later, there had been nothing left but destruction.   
He knows that in a different world, a world without racing and rivalry, a world where no one has to choose success over loyalty, things would have unfolded in a different direction. Who knows? Maybe him and Susie would spend the weekends at Nico’s and Lewis’ and maybe Nico’s daughters would be Lewis’ just as much.

Toto knows it is not his fault and yet, he feels like as a team principal, it is his job to protect all his employees as good as he can.  
He can’t help but think than he failed miserably at that with Lewis and Nico.

“Toto?” he hears over his headphones and almost jumps, realizing that he has gotten lost in his thoughts.   
His eyes focus on the two drivers in front of him and he takes a deep breath, remembering why he is here.

“Charles,” he says, looking at the young Monégasque who seems to look a bit… well, not exactly bored, but also not entirely happy to be here, before Toto’s gaze wanders over to Gasly.  
“Pierre,” he says and nods at the two drivers. He knows neither of them well enough to read their faces, however it does not escape his notice that Charles is slightly turning away from Pierre, although his body language is so subtle that neither of the two might even realize it.

Toto, on the other hand, has learned to read the tiniest shift in body languages over his years with Nico and Lewis in the same team.

“Despite your struggles yesterday, you managed to finish this stage ahead of another team,” he pauses, waiting for the full attention of the two drivers, “how did you make that work?”

“We pushed hard,” Charles says with his French accent that makes all his words sound softer and more melodic. The Ferrari then shrugs his shoulders, slightly turning towards Pierre, in expectancy of an answer from the Frenchman.

“We worked as a team, no?” Pierre asks and Toto does not fail to notice that what could have been a confident statement sounds much more like a question when it comes from the Alpha Tauri driver.   
When neither Toto nor Charles says something, Pierre continues talking.  
“And we had an advantage because we could paddle in the daylight. I think that made us faster. But yeah, we know each other pretty well, I believe that’s good.”

While he is speaking, Toto is more focused on Charles Leclerc, whatsoever, and how he is looking over at Pierre Gasly while the French talks. There is a frown on his even face and he seems to be chewing on his bottom lip, caught up in his thoughts. When Pierre once again repeats that they make a good team, Toto sees a warm smile light up Charles’ face for a second, before it is replaced by another, stronger frown, and then the Monégasque’s gaze drops to the ground that neither of them can make out in the dark.

Their whole behaviour makes Toto curious, but if he has learned anything over the last years, it’s that it is usually better for him to keep his nose out of whatever drama he can smell.

__

**Day 2, 22:35, Team Pierre & Charles**   
**Position: Camp #1  
**

* * *

“You caught us, you bastard! You made us last!” Lando yells coming towards them, followed by George and Alex who are coming out of the washing facilities at the moment.   
“That is really embarrassing for you, guys,” Charles replies, a big triumphant smile on his face, while he greets each member of the rookie team with a friendly hug.   
“I had to swim behind a bilibili!”  
“You did?”  
“Yes, I almost drowned in that river!”  
“You did not, Lando.”  
“Yeah, stop dramatizing it!”

Pierre watches the four of them form a giggling circle, while he is sitting on a camping chair, chewing on whatever food he had gotten his hands on first.   
Their laughs are carried over to him by the breeze and even though the light is faint, he sees the grins on their face and the way Charles’ shoulders suddenly seem to relax around the other drivers. Charles hasn’t looked that carefree in two days.

He feels a pang of jealousy at the sight of the group he has never really been a part of and Charles seems to just naturally blend in with them, while Pierre gets the growing feeling that maybe the Ferrari driver isn’t opposed to the adventure racing as much as he has thought – maybe he’s just opposed to having to compete with Pierre.

The realization hurts and as much as he tries to, he cannot take his eyes off the group, especially Charles, though.  
The thing with Charles is that he can never take his eyes off him, even when he wants to.   
There are pretty people, people he finds attractive, with pretty smiles and handsome faces, but then there’s _Charles_ , beautiful Charles, with his big eyes and his dimples and that goddamn smile that knocks Pierre right out every single time.

Charles is beautiful in a way that is uniquely him and his beauty is effortless, it is always there to make Pierre’s heart miss a beat and Pierre seriously doubts that he will ever think of Charles as anything less but breathtakingly beautiful.

And his nagging crush on the Monégasque had never been much of a problem, because Pierre has grown good at hiding it from his friend.   
It had never been a problem up until that point when Charles had kissed him after Spa.  
Pierre hadn’t understood it at the time and he does not understand it now, as talking is the last thing that Charles wants to do, but what he thinks to know is that Charles was sad and that he was lonely and that Pierre had been _there_.

But the Ferrari driver has been so much more to Pierre than just a casual affair, something much more than just a friend with benefits.   
And maybe, if they could just go back to the friendship they had had before they had shared a bed for the first time, he would accept that deal.   
But Pierre knows that’s not possible, especially now that Charles is apparently trying to distance from him, and it makes sadness wash over him, along with something he can’t identify as anything but heartache.

Charles is the centre of his solar system and with Charles slipping away, he feels like he’s left to die on his own in infinite darkness, with the cold eating up one part of him after the other.  
Charles is the sun and the moon and everything else that’s beautiful in a sky and Pierre can’t do anything but stare after him while he is slowly slipping through his fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone!  
> it's the first day of the online semester over here and it's... stressful sjsjsj  
> but i hope this story will keep me/you company and i hope you enjoyed this chapter. 
> 
> if you did, kudos would mean a lot to me <3
> 
> all the love,  
> johanna xx


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Day 2, 23:00, Team Alex & Lando & George**   
**Position: Camp #1  
**

* * *

The crew has built up two tents for them, which is thoughtful, but then again, Lando would have preferred if they had done the same effort with the boats or the fucking bilibili. Especially since he doesn’t even _want_ to spend the night away from his boyfriends, no matter how packed their tent would end up to be.

Turns out _packed_ is _pretty packed_ , their camping mats slightly overlapping.   
Alex has placed his one on the right, while George has claimed the left side for himself, which leaves the middle to the McLaren driver.  
And Lando happily takes his spot between the other two men, crawling over Alex to get onto his ground pad.

They have unzipped their sleeping bags, using them as blankets, as George has said that he thinks it will be too hot to properly use them, anyway.   
Lando did not complain, since it also means that he will be able to cuddle with his boyfriends under the covers.

He yawns when Alex takes it upon himself to switch off their camping lamps, suddenly painting the inside of their tent in darkness.

“Guys?” Lando asks, wondering if any of them has fallen asleep already.  
“Mh?” Alex mumbles, sounding just as tired as Lando feels, while the Brit can hear George shift next to him.   
“Just checking,” Lando says and Alex huffs, while Lando reaches out for George’s hand. The other Brit intertwines their fingers, pressing a quick kiss against the McLaren driver’s knuckles. Lando smiles into the dark.

“I love you, boys,” George says and Lando gives his hand a squeeze.   
“I love… you too,” Alex manages to get out in between two yawns and Lando giggles at it.

“Good night,” he whispers and sighs contently when Alex cuddles against him, spooning him from behind.

  
__

**Day 3, 00:18, Team Pierre & Charles**   
**Position: Camp #1  
**

* * *

His watch, which he has placed next to his sleeping bag for the night, tells him it’s now the third day of the race already. The digital display of the wristwatch is the only source of light in the tent and Charles watches how the seconds pass by, one after the other.   
He can’t sleep.

He has seen what the other teams looked like arriving at camp completely exhausted, but he has gotten a good sleep the previous night, so maybe that’s the reason why his body does not seem tired enough to shut down.

He can hear Pierre’s even breathing and his slight snoring once in a while, when the French turns around in his sleep or takes a deep breath.   
Usually, it is a rhythm that never fails to lull Charles to sleep, but tonight, it seems to keep him awake; a reminder of the unsolved.

He turns onto his side, facing Pierre, but of course it is still too dark to make him out, so he gets his watch and activates the lamp. It barely shines a light, almost incapable of illuminating the area at all, but it is enough to see Pierre’s face.   
His blonde hair looks even wilder from tossing and turning, but his tanned face looks more relaxed while he’s asleep.

Charles tucks his hands under his own cheek and watches the French.   
His eyes trace of Pierre’s nose, over that spot above his mouth and eventually his full lips.   
The older man also looks graver in his sleep, without his smile that is usually directed at the Monégasque.

Charles hesitantly pulls a hand out from under his cheek and reaches out, running his fingers through Pierre’s hair.

 _Qu'est-ce que tu veux de moi?_ he thinks.   
_Je ne peux pas te le donner_.

He wishes… he doesn’t know what he wishes. He doesn’t know anything these days.   
What he does know… what he thinks to know… is that he can’t give Pierre what he wants. He sees the way Pierre looks at him, feels the love in his touches and the gentleness in how he handles them and it makes Charles panic every time, for he cannot give back what Pierre wants.

 _What is it you want?_ is what he tries to ask himself, but it always feels like running head-first into a wall.   
There is no point in it.

__

**Day 3, 00:45, Control Room  
**

* * *

“The time is 00:45am on our third day of racing and we’re here from the Eco-Challenge headquarters,” Jenson explains, sounding like he is speaking of an exciting race day in Formula 1.  
“ _We_ , that is Fernando Alonso, Christian Horner and myself, while Toto is still at the Camp.”

“It’s past midnight, which means that the time is now ticking again for our next cutoff time at Camp #2.”

“Speaking of time,” Fernando chimes in, “where are Daniel and Max? They could have left the camp at 23:15, no?”   
“That’s absolutely correct,” Jenson answers and nods, “for our lead team, the mandatory rest period expired one and a half hours ago. They don’t have to get going as soon as it does, though. Getting a little bit of an extra rest could mean having an advantage later.”

“I think they should get their asses up and get moving,” Christian groans from where he is sitting next to them, eyes fixed on the cameras that show the yet unpopulated campsite, “they can sleep when they’ve crossed the finish line.”

Jenson chuckles at the other man’s words, shooting Fernando a grin, “That’s one way to approach it.”  
“When is the next team allowed to leave?” the Spaniard asks, frowning in concentration when he checks the rankings.

“That would be Lewis and Nico. They arrived at the Camp at 05:45pm, which means they could have left an hour ago.”  
“I think they’re already getting ready, no?” Fernando asks, suddenly pointing at a monitor that indeed shows the two former teammates packing up their stuff.

“Looks like it,” Christian says, the fact that Max and Dan are apparently still asleep putting him in a sour mood. His two (ex) drivers can probably count themselves lucky that Christian has no direct opportunity to breathe down their necks.

_

  
Eventually, Lewis and Nico are indeed the first team to leave the camp at 01:05, gaining the lead of the race ahead of the other teams. Jenson isn’t really surprised by that move at this time in the race, considering that both of the ex-teammates are undoubtedly very competitive and he thinks it will be interesting to see if they will be able to move past their rivalry to get this job done in the end.

What does surprise everyone, though, is the next team to leave the camp; Lance Stroll and Daniil Kvyat. Having arrived at Camp #1 at 17:25, they depart at exactly 01:25 in the morning, losing not one minute on the clock. It puts them in second position behind the Mercedes duo, a rank that not many had expected them to reach, probably.

Christian, on the other hand, seems to grow more nervous and exponentially angrier with every minute that passes without his favourite duo showing up, making all of them wonder if this is indeed tactics from Verstappen and Ricciardo, or if something else has happened without their notice.

Jenson wonders if they should wake up Toto, but he knows they are not allowed to do anything that could potentially influence the outcome of the race. Which means it’s a waiting game from there on.

__

**Day 3, 03:15, Team Max & Daniel**   
**Position: Camp #1  
**

* * *

“Max!” someone calls, but he tries to ignore it, for he just wants to go back to sleep.  
“Max!!” someone calls another time, now grabbing his arms to basically shake him awake.   
“Huh?” he asks, slowly opening his eyes while he regrets it just that second, looking directly into Daniel’s head torch.

It takes him a few seconds to realize where he is and what he is doing here, before he slowly cracks his eyes open again, blinking until his eyes adjust to the light.  
“What’s going on?” he asks the older one, his voice still heavy with sleep, breaking around the edges.   
He jumps when Daniel tosses him a shirt that hits his chest, shortly followed by a few other items of clothing.

“We forgot to set a fucking alarm!” Daniel says, apparently wide awake already, and Max stares up at the Renault driver until his brain registers what he has just said.  
“We did _what_!?”  
“Yes yes yes,” Dan mumbles, shoving Max’s backpack into his hands, “we can get angry later, just pack up your stuff and hurry the fuck up!”

Max rubs his sleepy eyes and stifles a yawn with the back of his hand, reaching out for his watch which he knows he must have dropped off somewhere close to the wall of the tent before falling asleep. When he eventually does get his hands on it, getting a glimpse at the time, he freezes, shooting up within a second.

“Fuck!” he yells, which just earns him an eye roll from Daniel.  
“I told you to get up!” Dan calls, already heading out of their tent.   
Max doubts that he has ever been up on his feet, fully dressed, as quick as he does now, and they are ready to leave the camp just a few minutes later.

“Where do we even have to go?” he asks the Australian, who is currently shoving food into his bags, handing Max a few energy bars and refilled water bottles.  
“Thanks,” the Dutch says, unfolding their map on the ground.

“It’s a 30 kilometres hike to checkpoint #1,” Daniel explains, his fingers tracing the route, “this takes us a couple of hours. Maybe around 4 and a half if we’re lucky. Up to 7 or 8 hours if the terrain is tricky, I’d say.”

Max trusts his boyfriend on his expertise and kneels down to tie his shoes.   
“What do you think about the ranking? How many positions did we lose?” he asks, while they are heading out of the camp, their head torches once again their only source of light while they make their way into the jungle.

Dan tilts his head, apparently doing some counting.   
“I think Lewis and Nico have definitely passes us. _Fuck_ ,” he mutters, shaking his head, “they could be four hours ahead of us now.”   
“We’ll catch them,” Max says, placing a hand on Daniel’s arm, “once there’s the next teamwork-task, at last. But what about the other teams?”

Daniel shrugs his shoulders at the question, “I have no idea who arrived at the camp after Lewis and Nico and when they did. Do you?”  
Max has to shake his head at that as well.

“So we’ve got no idea who’s behind and who’s ahead of us,” Daniel mumbles, sounding pissed.   
“We’ve really need to pay better attention, next time we’re at a camp. And set a fucking alarm,” Max says, cursing them for forgetting such a simple thing.

“You know why this happened, right?” Dan comments, shooting the Dutch a glance. Max flips him off.   
“Oh, so this is _my_ fault?” he asks and the Aussie nods.  
“Obviously!”  
“I got the impression that you had a good time, too,” Max mutters provokingly and he hears Daniel let out a sigh.   
“Didn’t you?” he adds, when Daniel doesn’t say anything, and places a hand on the older one’s ass. He has to smirk when he feels a shiver running down the Aussie’s body.

“It was… passable.”  
“Passable,” Max echoes, leaning into his boyfriend to press a quick kiss against his neck. His smirk widens when he hears a quiet moan drop from Daniel’s lips.

“You know… if we hurry…”  
“Are you seriously proposing a quickie in a fucking jungle?!” Daniel asks, turning around to stare at the younger man. Max isn’t fooled by Dan’s disbelief, noticing the way the Australian’s eyes drop to his lips.

He leans against the older one, feeling how Dan’s body is betraying him.   
“You never know when a camera team is catching up with us,” the Aussie whispers into Max’s ear, “or they could be cameras all around here.”  
“Mh…” Max says, not-so-accidentally pressing his thigh against Dan’s groin.

“You’re probably right,” Max says, smirking, while he steps back from Dan and continues walking. He can basically _feel_ Dan’s incredulous stare going after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank all of you for engaging with this story, your comments always mean so much to me and motivate to keep going <3  
> Hope everyone's having a good day!
> 
> All the love,  
> Johanna


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**Day 3, 04:10, Control Room  
**

* * *

“Oh, it looks like it is finally getting crowded at Camp!” Jenson says, zooming in on an iPad he is holding to have a better view of what is happening.   
The cameras indeed show a whole bunch of drivers getting ready for the departure from the first camp of the race.

“The teams that occupied the last places yesterday, Team Gasly-Leclerc and our rookie team, have apparently decided not to lose a single second and head out as soon as their mandatory rest period is over,” Christian continues, sounding still sour about the fact that Max and Daniel had lost hours on the lead teams by apparently forgetting to set a goddamn alarm.

“Kimi, Seb, Hulk and Kevin lose some time, no?” Fernando asks, leaning over to Jenson to look at the tablet in his hand.   
“I think Sebastian and Kimi know what they are doing. They have probably decided to get a little more rest,” Christian comments and Jenson has to agree with him.

“But Hülkenberg and Magnussen…?” Fernando trails off with a smirk on his lips, rising a brow.   
“At least we know they didn’t murder each other in their sleep,” Christian says dryly and Jenson has to snort at that.

__

**Day 3, same time, Team Charles & Pierre**   
**Position: leaving Camp #1  
**

* * *

“Charles!” Sebastian calls, almost sprinting over to where they are standing, “Charles! Are you okay?”   
Pierre watches the scene in amusement, grinning at the Monégasque while Sebastian is all over his teammate, holding a hand up against his forehead.

“How are you feeling? Why didn’t you watch out for yourself!?” his voice changes from worried to scolding within a second and Pierre has to suppress a chuckle when he sees Charles blush.   
“I told him to wear a hat,” Pierre comments and Charles sends a dark glance into his direction, while Sebastian has started nodding firmly.

“You go and listen to Pierre in the future, Charles!”  
“ _Ouiiii_ ,” Charles drawls, clearly embarrassed that Sebastian is making such a fuss about this. Pierre, on the other hand, thinks it serves him just well for ignoring his advice and making them fall behind in the rankings.

“Do you have enough to eat?” Sebastian continues asking, all but taking Charles’ backpack out of the Monégasque’s hands to check himself.  
Charles sends him a pleading look but Pierre doesn’t even _think_ of getting his friend out of this, crossing his arms in front of his chest that is shaking with amusement.

“I’m looking after him,” he eventually assures Sebastian and the German gives him a warm smile, before his worried blue eyes are back on Charles.

“I know you are not made for this habitat-…”  
“ _Excuse me_?” Charles’ eyes widen in offense.  
Sebastian simply stares back at him.   
“I know you are not made for this habitat,” he continues, a bit slower, as if he wants to be entirely sure that Charles is listening to what he is saying, “but please, just don’t get yourself killed.”

Charles growls and mumbles something Pierre doesn’t catch, but Sebastian gives him a last glance before he disappears into the jungle with Kimi, who is once again wearing his sunglasses without a trace of the sun in the night sky.

__

“You think we should team up with them?” Charles asks, looking over at Alex, Lando and George.  
“Why should we do that?” Pierre asks and Charles is honestly a bit surprised by the tone in Pierre’s voice.   
He turns towards the French and tries to read in him.  
Pierre looks right back at him, his eyes still a little swollen from the night and his hair still a mess on top of his head. Charles can almost still feel how it had felt gliding through his fingers a few hours ago.

“We might be faster as a team, non?” he asks the French and a frown appears on Pierre’s face.  
“I think we’re faster than them,” the Alpha driver states and Charles has to look over to his other group of friends again.

He still believes it is a bit stupid that they even have to compete in this Eco-Challenge and with their chances of winning not exactly skyrocketing, he’s got serious trouble motivating him to invest his resources into this Adventure Race.   
He’s convinced that it would definitely brighten his mood if he had the chance to spend the day with Alex, Lando and George, as it is always fun to be around the trio.

But Pierre is probably right with what he is saying and if they want to avoid being last when arriving at the next checkpoints and eventually the second Camp, they should better get going and leave the chaotic trio behind. Even if it means having to spend more time with Pierre alone and the wall of silence that has somehow appeared between the two of them.

  
__

**Day 3, same time, Control Room  
**

* * *

“What is it you guys are most excited for during this leg of the race?” Jenson asks, sending both Fernando and Christian curious glances.

The Spaniard doesn’t have to think for too long, and his eyes lighten up when he gives his answer, “Easy, no? The wild-water rafting!”  
Christian nods in agreement, “That will surely test all of the teams.”

Jenson looks into the camera, “For explanation; the wild-water rafting is set between Checkpoint #1 and Checkpoint #2.”

“What is it that you’re looking forward to the most?” Christian asks his fellow Brit and Jenson grins.  
“Oh, definitely the climbing! We’ll see our teams having to function as what they essentially are; a _team_. I’m sure this won’t just put extra pressure on Hamilton and Rosberg.”

  
__

**Day 3, 10:00, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: on the way to Checkpoint #1  
**

* * *

After almost eight hours of hiking, walking (and occasionally slipping on muddy ground), they eventually reach the first Checkpoint of the second leg of the race in relief.   
Nico knows the way here has left both of them feeling exhausted, despite the sleep they had been able to catch at the Camp #1.

The sun is up by now, although it is hidden behind a persistent layer of clouds, and the temperatures have risen again as well, making Nico sweat.   
There hasn’t been much talking during the hike, apart from those times they had to discuss where to go and which trail to follow, but for most of the time, they have both been caught up in their thoughts.

He still can’t help but feel guilty that he wasn’t able to live up to the promise of calling his daughters whenever he is at a camp and it is a nagging feeling that seems to cling to his back. He’s not sure what it is that Lewis is thinking about, but he’s caught the Brit staring into the distance without focusing on anything at all more than once, usually biting down hard on his bottom lip and jumping when Nico has snapped him out of his thoughts.

He wonders if Lewis is thinking of what he has told him yesterday, before they had fallen asleep. He has been meaning to tell his former teammate for a while now, just never sure how to address the issue. It’s not like they share weekly phone calls, during which Nico would have been able to casually mention that Vivian and him had called it quits.

_My marriage is a wreck, wanna come hang on the weekend?_

Nico snorts at his own thoughts and Lewis looks over at him, his curiosity mixed with a frown.   
The German quickly looks away.

He had felt like he needed to tell Lewis, unsure why he had felt so strongly about it, but now that it is out in the open it has left him feeling almost a little bit… empty. He is not sure what he has expected, doesn’t really want to think about it, that is, but Lewis hasn’t brought it up once since they had gotten up and it is slowly getting to him.

The Brit is currently sitting at a rock a few metres away from him, eating an energy bar and drinking some water.   
The view they are enjoying at the moment is truly breath-taking and Nico forces himself to tear his eyes away from the world champion.

They are sitting by the rocky shore of a stream course that is just several metres in width, but winding through the sheer rock walls ahead of them with impressive pace.   
The water is fuming on the surface, making the speed they will reach with the rafts vaguely perceptible.

Nico has done wild-water rafting a couple of times already, but never in an environment as rural and natural as this one, with unknown water rapids and swirls that might be lurking under the surface.

There are crew members who will instruct them, that much he knows, and they have already received lifejackets for the worst case scenario of falling over board, but Nico feels somewhat anxious about the journey ahead of them, whatsoever.

He has to admit that he is almost glad to have Lewis with him on this, for he knows that Lewis functions best in dangerous and high-pressure situations, while he just hopes that they won’t get into a fight and push _each other_ over board. 

__

The inflatable raft turns out to be bigger than expected and gives Nico the impression that it is normally meant for up to four people, instead of just two.  
Steering this monster with just two paddles will cost them not just energy but nerves, he muses, feeling a lump form in his throat.

He jumps when Lewis suddenly appears in front of him, the Brit’s lips twitching.   
“Can you… can you check my lifejacket?” Lewis asks hesitantly and Nico senses that the Brit has debated whether or not to ask him to do that.   
His eyes meet Lewis’ for a second, something ghosting over the older drivers face, and Nico’s gaze quickly drops to the vest the other man is wearing.

“Sure,” he answers, his mouth dry.   
He makes sure that all buckles are closed and that the lifejacket fits the way that it is supposed to, while he notices his own hands trembling a little.   
When his fingers brush over Lewis’ neck by accident, he feels the Brit shiver and he’s not surprised that the older one flinches at the touch.   
He draws his hand back like he has just burned himself, feeling Lewis’ eyes on him when the Brit turns around.

“You want me to… you know…” Lewis starts, his voice quiet and Nico thinks he also sounds a bit pissed, so he nods in silence and avoids looking at the other man.

Lewis inspects his vest skilfully and quickly, _his_ fingers never actually touching Nico once and he feels almost disappointed at that, his heartbeat picking up speed when Lewis stands behind him to check the lifejacket.

“You’re good to go,” the Brit eventually declares and Nico thanks him quietly, their gazes meeting just another time.

They then proceed to board the raft, securing their bags and their other items, before they take their places in the middle of the raft.   
Some water is splashing up against it, sloshing up, and Nico is sure that they will be soaking wet once they will have reached the next Checkpoint.

“Are you worried?” Lewis suddenly asks and Nico’s gaze snaps up, not realizing that the Brit has caught up on his nervousness.  
For a second, he contemplates telling Lewis the truth, since his dark eyes seem to be looking for a genuine answer, but Nico swallows, eventually, turning away from the Brit.

“No, are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing this story is my main source of happiness at the moment and I can't wait to share the rest of this story with you...  
> It has become so much longer than anything I've ever written but I'm truly in love with writing it...
> 
> all the love,  
> Johanna xx


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Day 3, 10:20, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: Leaving Checkpoint #1  
**

* * *

_“Are you worried?”  
“No, are you?”_

Lewis stares at the German while Nico has averted his eyes already.  
He wonders if Nico is so used to lying to him that it is an automatism the blond man can’t fight, for he can see the worry in his eyes, no matter what he has said.  
He doesn’t answer Nico’s question, though, as it has been more rhetorical than anything else.

He remembers it still so well, how Nico used to turn everything against him and how he was able to insert his psycho tricks into every aspect of their interaction.  
He has never expected Nico to be honest with him – or maybe he did, and that’s the whole point – but what had shaken him to the core, what shattered what he had used to believe in, was the ease with which Nico was able to lie right to his face.

He hadn’t always seen it through back then, but he surely doesn’t buy Nico’s small lie right now, even if it’s just about something as redundant as his nerves.  
He thinks of calling him out for it for a second, but then shakes off the thought, because what good would it do?  
Why would he care?

If Nico doesn’t want to be honest with him, it’s fine. It’s not like they’re friends. The German isn’t obliged to tell him the truth.  
And Lewis isn’t honest with him either, for the matter.  
It he was honest, if he wanted to tell Nico the truth, he would-…  
He’s not sure what he would do.  
 _If_ he would do anything at all.

Sometimes he feels like everything has been said between them.  
At other times, he feels like he’s never told Nico anything at all.  
He doesn’t _want_ to tell him. For some reason, he has always had this wild idea that Nico should simply _know_.

__

**Day 3, 11:00, Team Lance & Daniil**   
**Position: On the way to Checkpoint #2  
**

* * *

Daniil feels adrenaline flooding his veins while their raft is pushed down the stream by the sheer force of the water that is surrounding them.  
He’s learned pretty quickly that they did not get the paddles to actually move forward, but only to control the direction of the raft a little bit, preventing the boat from ramming the at least four metres high rocks to each of their sides.

It feels dangerous, it feels life-threatening and hazardous, but it also makes him feel alive and Daniil releases the breath that has gotten caught up in his lungs.

“This is amazing!” Lance has to scream to drown out the roar of the swirling water that is ringing in the Russian’s ears.  
He looks over at Lance and can’t help but mirror the wide grin on the Canadian’s face. Lance wipes water off his face, running a hand through his dark hair, and his eyes sparkle at Daniil.

“Whoa!” Dany shouts when the raft is pushed to the side before it races down a small fall, whirling up more water.  
“Insane!” he hears Lance’s voice over the noise level of the stream and he can only agree.  
“Yes!!”

__

**Day 3, same time, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: on the way to Checkpoint #2  
**

* * *

“Fucking hell, open your fucking eyes!” Lewis screams incredulously, tightening his grip on the strap attached to the raft.  
“Nico, goddamn it!” his throat feels sore already, while he tries to look ahead and have a look at the German at the same time.  
Nico’s whole body has tensed up, gripping the lashes like his life depends on it, and his eyelids are pressed together.

“You’re getting both of us killed!” Lewis tries again, doing his best to push the raft away from the rock the wild water is pushing them into.  
“I swear, if you don’t open your eyes now-…!”  
But Nico doesn’t react at all, doesn’t even flinch, and just keeps holding onto the support straps.

And Lewis’ heartbeat picks up speed, because in a wild-water raft that is built for four, he certainly can’t steer this on his own and he’s barely managed not to crash into the sharp-edged rocks left and right. The last thing they would need right now is for the cultrate stones to slash open their raft and end their race.

“Nico Erik Rosberg!” Lewis screams, feeling panic bubble up his throat, his stomach sinking.  
“You’re a fucking Formula 1 driver, you need to open your eyes!”  
“I’m not a driver anymore!” Nico shouts back over the rushing water, the first thing he’s saying in a while.  
“Yes, and I now realize why you’re not!” Lewis shoots back, only managing to push the raft away from the next rock last second.

“If we survive this, I’ll kill you!” he screams into Nico’s direction and reaches out to push the younger one, in order to get any kind of reaction out of him.  
“We can’t stop the raft now, we’ve got keep going!”

Lewis’ throat hurts from all the screaming and he starts to feel exhausted from shouting at Nico, the fear creeping up his back and spreading through his veins. He feels how it stiffens his body as well, how it makes his muscles tense up and freeze.  
But he _can’t_ let the panic take over now, not when Nico has apparently been paralyzed by his own nerves.

He really wonders how Nico has been able to drive a damn Formula 1 car but is now overwhelmed by wild-water rafting, but Lewis knows he has to find a way to snap Nico out of his paralysis or otherwise this will not end well for the both of them.  
He is almost knocked over when their raft is pushed to the side by the force of the water, clinging to the handles of the boat and holding on to as tightly as he can manage.

__

**Day 3, 11:30, Team Daniel & Max**   
**Position: at Checkpoint #1  
**

* * *

When they reach the first checkpoint of the second leg of the race, the first thing that Dan notices it that the Eco-Challenge crew consists of several Red Bull mechanics.  
Just like the drivers, lots of other team members of the racing teams have volunteered to support the charity event – and an Adventure Race like this one needed a hell lot of organization.

They are mostly Max’s mechanics, but Dan does recognize some guys from his time with Red Bull, and he greets them with broad smiles and several fist bumps.

He laughs off the question of whether or not they have actually forgotten to set an alarm or if it’s all been tactics and tells the amused crew members to suck it up.

It is when he is currently refilling his water bottle and brushing some dirt off his clothes that he notices how one of Max’s mechanics approaches the Dutch and signalises him to have a word with him for a second.  
Dan follows the scene with growing curiosity and eventually turns his head a little, hoping he can catch some of the words exchanged.

It’s mostly small talk, before Max finally asks “what is it?” and Dan’s neck almost snaps when he hears Max’s mechanic say something that most definitely includes “Jos Verstappen”.  
Daniel steps closer without any of the two men sparing him a glance, a frown appearing on his face.

“So your father wants me to tell you-…” Max’s team member starts but before he can finish his sentence, Dan has pushed past his boyfriend, planting himself in front of him.  
“The fuck you just said?” he asks the mechanic and for a second, he feels almost sorry for the guy, who blinks at him in confusion.

“I’m afraid it’s none of your business,” he eventually answers and Dan’s eyes narrow.  
“No, I think it is very much my business. Did Jos send you?” he asks, glaring at the Red Bull employee. He hears Max exhale a shaky breath behind him and Dan ignores the light hand he feels on his shoulder.  
He suddenly feels rage building up inside of him because who the _actual fuck_ does Jos Verstappen think he is?

“You do know you’re not even _allowed_ to pass on messages to us, right? That it could cost us the fucking _win_?”  
“Listen,” the mechanic now raises his hands, trying to play it cool, “Jos simply called me and said he needs me to talk to Max.”  
Daniel snorts at that reply, “Oh, the Almighty _himself_ has called you. What an _honour_.”

“Dan…” he hears Max’s quiet voice behind him, his tone almost pleading, but Dan knows it’s not the time to give in to the Dutchman. Not now, not when Max is unable to stand up for himself.  
  
“Whatever it is that Jos wants Max to know; tell him he can shove it up his ass,” he groans and looks into the sheer disbelief on Max’s crewmember’s face, who is gaping right back at him.  
“That’s not…” the guy splutters, “th-that’s not what I’m gonna tell him.”  
“Your bad, come up with something else then. But leave Max _the fuck_ alone, is that clear?”  
When Max’s mechanic doesn’t reply, Dan takes a deep breath.  
“Next time I see you, or anyone else of the Red Bull guys, around Max during this race, you better run or I will personally give Helmut a call to inform him his very own crew is loyal to Jos _fucking_ Verstappen.”  
Dan registers that his hands have formed fists and he’s breathing heavily now, the anger burning in his stomach.  
“Now piss off!”

The mechanic does do exactly that and Dan glares after him, until he can be entirely sure that the guy will stay away from Max – at least for now.  
Thinking of Max, he turns around to the Dutch, and it nearly breaks Dan’s goddamn heart to see the younger one standing there with his shoulders up and his hands buried in the pockets of his pants, like he’s preparing for something that’s coming.

Max isn’t looking at him, his head low and gaze down, and Dan bites down on the inside of his cheek.  
“Do you know what he wanted?”  
“My dad?” Max asks quietly and the Aussie wouldn’t have noticed that his voice is shaking if he didn’t know the younger one so well.  
“Yes,” he replies and gives the Dutch some time.

“It’s probably because of the alarm. Because we’ve dropped in the rankings,” Max answers, his voice still low.  
“Or maybe-…” his gaze suddenly snaps up and he’s staring at Dan with big eyes.  
“What?” the older one asks, frowning at his boyfriend.

“Maybe he’s picked up on… on…”  
“On us?” Dan asks, keeping his voice just as quiet as Max, while he feels his heart aching in his chest.

Because it fucking breaks Dan’s heart to see Max like this and because Max does not deserve any of this shit.  
“This really needs to stop, Maxy,” he says softly and the Dutch’s gaze snaps up once again.  
“What, us?” he asks, the trembling of his voice increasing.  
“No!” Dan is quick to say, a bit too loud, probably, and he shakes his head.  
“God no, not us,” he says and draws in a deep breath, “your father… the influence that your father has on you… that’s what has to stop.”

He sees how Max’s grits his jaw, how his muscles tense up at his words.  
“I love you, Maxy, and nothing your father says should-…”  
“My dad loves me too,” Max interrupts him, pushing out his bottom lip like a child. It makes Dan’s guts clench up.

“Your dad…” he wants to start, but Max shakes his head, cutting him off.  
“He _loves_ me, Dan. He loves me and he only wants the best for me.”

Dan presses his lips together for a second.  
“And what is that?” he asks quietly, “what’s the best thing for you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like things are starting to evolve now and I'm really excited to hear what your thoughts on this chapter are...  
> It would mean a lot of you'd leave kudos on this work <3
> 
> all the love,  
> Johanna xx


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw; slurs

**Chapter 17**

**Day 3, same time, Team Max & Dan**   
**Position: at Checkpoint #1  
**

* * *

“He loves me, Dan. He loves me and he only wants the best for me.”  
“And what is that? What’s the best thing for you?”

Max looks back at him with his mouth opening and closing, but the Dutch apparently cannot find the right words to say.

“My dad knows the business,” Max eventually says, “he knows what’s allowed and what’s not.”  
“What’s _allowed_?” Dan echoes, his brows shooting up, “it’s not for your dad to decide who you love!”  
“Be quiet, will you!” Max snaps, looking sorry just a second later, “just… don’t say it like that. Not here.”   
He points at the camera crews that are currently having a snack with the Checkpoint crew as well.

“I trust my dad with his decisions, Dan!” Max says and the Aussie can only shake his head at the younger one’s words. He brings up a hand to run it through his hair, still chewing on the inside of his cheek.

“How can you trust him when he doesn’t even _care_ about you, Maxy?”   
Max’s eyes narrow at his sentence and Dan swallows hard.  
“My dad loves me. He’s done everything for me, always.”  
Dan can’t help shaking his head, “He’s done everything for your career, Max.”  
“That’s the same fucking thing, Daniel!”

“How…” Dan starts, licking his lip that has started trembling a little, “how can you say that when I’m literally standing right in front of you?”   
Max stares back at him and Dan can see the conflict written all over his face, can see the battle that Max is constantly fighting on the inside.

“He’s done so much for me, I just want to make him proud,” Max says and sounds almost sulky.   
Dan watches the younger one in silence for a moment, “But you’re not obliged to making him proud, Maxy.”  
The Dutchman’s gaze is piercing and Dan wishes he was able to reach out, wishes he could pull the other man against him.   
“There are so many people that are proud of you, Max. For what you _are_.”

Max looks away, his jaw still tensed up, the muscles of his neck flexing.   
“You’re _allowed_ to be proud of who you are.”   
“I am proud of myself,” Max shoots back and Dan tilts his head.   
“You are?”

When Max looks at him again, the Australian sees anger burning in his boyfriend’s eyes.  
“I’m proud of my wins.”   
“Max…” Dan starts, exhaling, “there’s so much more you can be proud of.”  
“No, there is not!” Max suddenly yells and Dan flinches, “stop acting like there is! You need to… you need to stop doing what you’ve just done with my mechanic, okay?!”

Dan gapes at the Dutch, completely taken by surprise by his sudden outburst.   
“My dad does his best to protect my career and you’re acting like… like he’s the worst person on the planet! You’ve got to stop doing that!”

Dan stares at the younger man, feeling his heart sink.   
“That’s not you speaking, Max. Don’t you realize that he… that he’s conditioned you to think all these horrible things about yourself?”   
“He’s my dad, Dan!”  
“That doesn’t give him the right to hurt you!”

“You are who’s hurting me!” the Dutch hisses and Dan’s breath gets caught in his throat.   
“I’m doing _what_ now?”  
Max throws up his hands, “You just can’t accept that… that I don’t…”  
“You better think about what you want to say before you say something you’ll regret later,” Dan says under his breath and their gazes interlock, while they’re staring at each other in silence.

“What do you want from me, Dan?” Max suddenly asks and the Aussie feels taken aback by the younger man’s question.   
“What do you expect me to do?” the Dutch adds.

Yeah, what _does_ he want from Max?  
Dan shakes his head. That’s the wrong thing to ask, isn’t it?

“I don’t want anything from you, Max. I want certain things _for_ you.”  
“What things?” Max asks, his eyes challenging Daniel.

“I want you to be who you really are. Not some idea your dad wants you to perform.”  
“What, you want me to be a fag? _Openly_?”

Dan flinches at the word, staring back at Max in sheer shock, while Max’s eyes have narrowed, a deep frown now on his face.   
God, how much Dan hates that word. He wants to scream at Max, wants to yell that he should not use that word ever, not if he’s referring to either of them or anyone at all, but he takes a deep breath and meets Max’s glance.

“What if I do?” he asks the Dutchman, crossing his arms in front of his chest.   
Max huffs sarcastically, shaking his head.

 _But would it really be the end of the world?_ Dan asks himself.   
For Max, it seems like it.   
But what’s the alternative? Is this current way of living so much better?

“You’re crazy,” Max says and he is still shaking his head.   
“If this is really what you want-…” Max starts, interrupting himself by taking in a sudden breath, apparently shocked by whatever it was that he was about to say.   
Dan feels how his heart is beating in his throat and there is adrenaline rushing through his veins now, his heart pumping fear through his body with every steady beat.

He’s scared of what Max has been about to say and he sees his own fear mirrored on the younger man’s face.   
Dan tries to think of something, anything, he could say that would delete what has been said between them, but of-fucking-course there is nothing like that and he can’t do anything but search for answers in his boyfriend’s eyes.

But Max has that look on his face, the one that shuts Dan out and makes it so hard for him to read the other man, making it impossible to know what is going on in the Dutch’s head.

  
__

  
**Day 3, 13:00, Team Alex & Lando & George**   
**Position: on the way to Checkpoint #2  
**

* * *

“Finally a boat with enough space!” Lando calls, the rush of the water muffling his words somewhat.   
“This is a raft!” George calls back, while they are speeding down the stream, the jungle above the rocks nothing but a blur.   
“But a raft is a boat, no?” Lando yells, while he can see Alex roll his eyes at their exchange.

“Alex, is a raft a boat?” the McLaren driver shouts into the direction of the third Brit and Alex lifts a finger, pointing at his ear.   
“Oh, you can hear me, you bastard!” Lando comments and the Red Bull driver just grins back at him, shrugging his shoulders.

“Can anyone see Seb and Kimi?” George calls and all three of them look into the direction where they’ve been coming from, since they have passed the Finnish-German duo during the hike to the first checkpoint.

Lando muses that it will be hard to win any time on other teams in the rafting section, since this part of the stage isn’t so much about increasing their speed – it is pretty high already – but about making it to the next checkpoint at all.   
They have struggled quite a few times to steer the boat – or, the _raft_ – away from the threatening rocks, and so far Lando is just glad that they’re still in the race.

He does know, whatsoever, that they will definitely have to find a way to work their way up the rankings, and that better sooner than later.

While Lando is looking out for Sebastian and Kimi behind them, Alex abruptly yells “fuck!”.   
The wuthering stream has just made a sharp turn, the big rocks around them making it impossible to look around the next corner, when another raft suddenly appears right in front of them.

“Shit!” George exclaims and Lando’s eyes widen in shock, whilst all three of them try to get hold of their paddles and avoid the inevitable.   
But because it is inevitable, they naturally do not manage to avoid it, and just a second later, their raft collides with another one.

Lando hears someone scream and he quickly tries to take in the scene displaying in front of him.   
He sees Pierre Gasly, clinging to the handles of his raft, but much to Lando’s surprise, the Frenchman is the only one in the boat.   
What the-…

But then, still screaming, Charles Leclerc suddenly surfaces behind the other team’s raft and Lando gapes.   
Did they actually just-…

“Merde!” Charles screams, but the thing is that their rafts don’t just stop because there is a man overboard, and the Monégasque is pushed under his and Pierre’s raft.   
Lando feels how panic rushes over him and he bolts forward, trying to see what is happening to Charles.

He hears Pierre scream something in French and Alex’ and George’s voices as well, but he’s too busy watching out for the Monégasque to pay any attention to what they are saying.   
Charles has disappeared under their rafts, while the water keeps pushing them forward, and Lando knows that the lifejacket the Ferrari driver is most definitely wearing doesn’t help much if their rafts prevent him from coming back to the surface.

“Charles!” Pierre cries out, his voice dripping in worry for his friend.  
“Where is he?” Lando screams and he turns his head as quickly as he can, searching the surface around them for the Monégasque.   
“I can’t see him!” George calls in alarm and Lando feels Alex’s hand on his clothes.   
“Sit down, Lando!”   
“But where’s Charles?!”

Pierre shouts his teammate’s name another time and Lando’s heart is beating in this throat, his gaze roaming over their two rafts, which are still drifting rapidly, and the rocks and the water around them.

Lando suddenly hears a scratching sound to his right and he jumps up, leaning over the edge of their raft.   
Right between the inflatable boat and a rock overhang, Charles appears, trying to get hold of the slippery material while both the Ferrari driver and the raft is pushed forward by the swirling water. His lifejacket is keeping him above the surface, but he is dangerously close to being squashed between stones and the nylon infused plastic.

Lando hears himself calling out the Monégasque’s name without actively deciding to do so and the older driver looks up at him, his head snapping up.   
It takes a few moments for Charles to focus on him, his eyes wild and filled with panic, while water keeps swapping over the Ferrari driver, forcing him to cough it out.

“Take my hand!” Lando screams, drawing the attention of the other drivers. He leans over the edge of the raft as far as he dares, when he feels hands grabbing his waist.   
“I’ll hold you!” Alex shouts over the deafening noise of the water around them, “I’ll hold you so you can pull him up!”

Charles’ hand wraps around Lando’s a second later and the Brit grabs the older one’s underarm as good as he can, the wetness making him lose grip several times, before he eventually manages to start pulling.   
It takes him a whole lot of physical effort to get the Ferrari driver into their raft and once he has done it, Charles collapses right in the middle of it, panting heavily.

He is soaking wet and water is dripping from his hair and his clothes, while Lando kneels down next to the Monégasque, trusting his boyfriends to steer the raft away from the rocks.

“Fuck, is he okay?” Pierre screams and Lando can still hear the fear in his voice that is trembling from panic.   
Charles, on the other hand, is coughing heavily, spitting out water, and gets on all four to get the liquid out of his lungs.   
Lando places a hand on his back, giving him comforting strokes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, what an emotional rollercoaster this race weekend has been...  
> And I guess there was a fair deal of emotions in this chapter as well.  
> I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!
> 
> all the love,  
> Johanna


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw; slurs

**Chapter 18**

**Day 3, 13:30, Team Pierre & Charles**   
**Position: on the way to Checkpoint #2**

* * *

“Charles… Shhh… Chéri, look at me?” Pierre whispers, cupping the Monégasque’s face with his hands.  
They have managed to stop their rafts where we water isn’t too deep, transferring Charles back into his own boat.   
Pierre is kneeling next to his friend, doing his best to calm the younger man down.

Charles, on the other hand, is still gasping for air, his breathing uneven, and while the Frenchman thinks the Ferrari driver is physically okay, he is obviously still in a state of shock.   
They all are, really, because everything had gone from a lot of fun to serious panic within several seconds, and now he is just glad that they managed to get Charles out of the dangerous stream without injuries.

“Regarde moi,” Pierre repeats in French and Charles’ green eyes actually focus on him now, although he can still see the fear in them.   
“Bien, Calamar,” he whispers and brushes his thumb over the younger man’s cheek. He feels how the Monégasque leans into the touch, perhaps chasing the warmth of his hand.

“Are you cold?” he asks the Ferrari driver and Charles nods.   
“Do you guys have any jackets with you?” Pierre asks George, Alex and Lando and the three of them search their bags for suitable clothes, whilst Pierre drapes his own thin rain jacket over Charles’ upper body.

“That was really scary, no?” he mumbles, more to himself, and he jumps when Charles’ ice-cold hand suddenly comes to rest on top of his own, which his still cupping the younger man’s face.

Charles looks scared and Pierre can tell that it is an honest emotion, for the cockiness and irony that he so often sees on the Monégasque’s face when the younger man is pissed is nowhere to be seen. Charles doesn’t even seem to have it in himself to complain about the situation and the Ferrari’s cold hand tightens around his.

“It was nothing but an accident,” Pierre states, trying to calm him down, “a race-accident, if you want.”  
Charles’ green eyes look up at him, big and frightened, and Pierre suddenly has to ask himself what he’d want Charles to do if he was in his position, so he places an arm around the other man’s back and helps him to sit up into a hug.

He is honestly surprised when Charles immediately wraps his cold arms around him and when the younger one lets his forehead fall down against Pierre’s shoulder, the Frenchman can’t help the way his stomach seems to do a backflip.

“C'est normal d'avoir peur,” Pierre whispers and Charles clings to him a little tighter, making Pierre feel his breath against his shoulder.   
He rubs his hands over the other man’s arms, trying to warm him up, while Charles is still catching his breath.

“You can head out again, you know. I can handle this,” Pierre says into the direction of the other team, which earns him disbelieving comments from the youngsters.   
“Of course not! We’re staying!”  
“Yes, we’ll wait until you’re ready to go again!”

Pierre has to smile at the companionship of the trio, suddenly feeling silly for being jealous of them yesterday. Charles has some really good friends in them and he should be happy for the Monégasque, not be so narrow-minded about it.

__

  
**Day 3, 14:15, Team Nico & Kevin**   
**Position: on the way to Checkpoint #2**

* * *

They are somewhere ahead of the rookie team, team Gasly-Leclerc and also Sebastian and Kimi and that is a step forward, at least.   
However, it doesn’t cover the fact that Kevin is nothing but a brat and that Nico just really does! Not! Want! To! Be! Here!

They’ve crashed into the rocks to each side several times and if Nico has tried to do it actively, just to piss the Dane off, then that’s nothing but gossip.

__

  
**Day 3, 15:27, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: at Checkpoint #2  
**

* * *

He has no idea how they have managed to make it to the second checkpoint without dying in that goddamn raft.   
It’s been more than ten minutes since they have pulled it out of the water, collapsing onto the sun-warmed rocks by the shore, and Nico still feels it in every cell of his body.

It is almost like he cannot really remember what has been happening out there – probably because he had refused to open his eyes for the longest part of it – and it seems actually insane to him that they have finally made it here.  
While being on that raft, it has felt like it would never come to an end and Lewis’ voice, as well as the swirling water, is still ringing in his ears.

He can tell that Lewis is pissed.   
Like, really, _really_ pissed, because he hasn’t even said anything about it since they have gotten out of the water, whilst Nico can feel the Brit’s glare on him constantly.

And what could he say in his defence? His body had simply stopped listening to him and he knows it shouldn’t have happened, especially not to him, being a former F1 driver, but it’s not like he can change anything about it now, can he?   
Lewis has managed to get them back to the shore safely, when Nico had failed to do so, but it’s not like he has done this on purpose.

But he can tell that Lewis takes this as some sort of confirmation for what he seems to believe about him, anyway, and that is what pissed _him_ off.

“Say it,” he comments and looks over at Lewis, meeting his gaze.   
Lewis simply raises his eyebrows.   
“Say what you want to say or get over it,” Nico says and the world champion’s glance darkens.

“I’ve got nothing to say,” Lewis answers and the German has to snort at that.   
“Sure,” he mumbles under his breath and Lewis’ lips form a thin line.

__

**Day 3, 16:44, Team Daniel & Max**   
**Position: at Checkpoint #2  
**

* * *

They have managed to close the distance to the teams ahead, a crew member at the second checkpoint tells them, but Dan couldn’t care less about that at the moment.   
Max and him haven’t exchanged a word since they have left the previous checkpoint and what has happened is hanging heavy in the air between them, making Dan feel like he’s carrying a thousand pounds on his shoulders.

He wonders if he has gone too far by speaking of Jos Verstappen like that, but then again, if he doesn’t open Max’s eyes, no one will, right?  
He wishes he could talk to Lewis about this, as the Brit always knows the right words to everything, but then again, the whole topic is a bit of a sore spot for the Mercedes driver as well, Dan muses.

But he _has_ to do something, doesn’t he? Because the last thing he wants is for Jos Verstappen to ruin his relationship without even _being_ there.

He refills his water bottle in silence, he eats something in silence, he exchanges his clothes for dry ones _in silence_ and Max doesn’t look like he wants to change anything about that at all, so Dan just grits his teeth a little harder and avoids the Dutch’s eyes.   
  
__

Max can’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t make the situation even worse, he deliberates. And what the fuck did Dan even think?   
Why does Daniel believe he has the right to speak about his dad like that?

The Aussie has no idea what he is saying, he doesn’t know Jos the way he does.  
Max is his _son_ , for fucks sake, of course he knows more than Daniel does. And for the older one to say that his dad doesn’t care about him?  
It’s the most ridiculous thing he has ever heard.

For as long as he can remember, his dad has done everything in his power to get Max into the best possible position. No one has believed in him in the way that his dad has done.  
Max owes him _everything_ , so how can Dan have the _audacity_ to doubt him?

It makes Max angry and also somewhat helpless.   
If Dan thinks that Max would actually-… that he would ever-… in public-…   
He almost has to laugh at that thought.   
Does Dan even know him at all?

He looks over at Daniel, who is currently changing into a fresh shirt. It is functional wear and it hugs his skin tightly, almost like their fireproofs do, to increase safety and avoid becoming entangled. It isn’t the Australian’s usual style, with his oversized t-shirts and hoodies, and Max has to think of how he loves hugging Dan when he is wearing those. It makes the Aussie extra comfortable and soft and Max has to swallow hard at the feelings that suddenly start filling his chest.

It is not fucking fair, he thinks.   
He loves the older man so much that it physically hurts and why is this his life? Why did he have to fall in love with a teammate, of all people, and not just some pretty girl he could have picked up in a club?   
Why is it Dan’s smile that makes his knees weak and not one of the women his dad used to send his way at those parties in Monaco?

He is long past the point where he tried to fight it, and if he’s honest with himself, he has never really fought it, anyway.   
With Dan, everything is always so _easy_.   
And the Australian even manages to make their relationship sound easy, his words somehow being able to convince that they could-… that maybe they’d actually-…

But Max shakes his head, trying to get rid of these thoughts the second that they arise. Because where’s the point?  
His dad is right when he says that fags just don’t exist in Formula 1. That there’s no place for them. And Max _wants_ a place in this sport. He’s fought too hard for it. His _dad_ has done too much for him to just fuck it all up now.

He gives Daniel another glance, watching him getting ready to continue the race.  
And the sight warms his heart, because it always does, because Dan is the sun and the centre of his universe and the best thing that has ever happened to him.   
But it still leaves him feeling bitter, that Dan simply does not seem to understand, and he knows he won’t be able to explain it to the Australian, either.

Because Dan is so caught up in that idea that they should be _proud of who they are_ that he has lost every sense of reality on the way.   
Daniel is an idealist and Max _hates_ how he thinks about his father, because he has _no right to_.

And yet, from time to time, there is this voice in his head that asks _is this really true_?  
But he buries that voice somewhere deep, where it can’t reach up, because he _loves_ his dad. How could he not? It’s his _dad_ , for fucks sake!

__

He feels Max’s eyes on him from time to time, but he fights the urge to turn around and meet his gaze.  
The Dutch’s words had stung and the Australian had meant it when he had told the younger one to think about his words before saying something he would not be able to take back later.   
He knows this is a conflict that has been seething under the surface for a while now, never quite breaking out, and maybe it’s just time for it to be finally addressed.

And it’s funny, really, how Max’s words are able to hurt him, _even though_ he knows where it is all coming from, _even though_ he knows why Max thinks like this and when this is essentially the whole goddamn problem.   
But he is reaching a point where not addressing the issue is hurting him just as much and he’s hurting not just for himself, but for _Max_.  
He wishes he was able to go back in time, wishes he was able to protect Max every single time that his father had made him believe things that are simply not true.   
He wants to punch Jos Verstappen in his fucking face, wants to scream at him, until the man realizes what he has done to his son, but nothing in the world could make the Dutchman understand that and Dan knows that.

The only thing he can hope for is for _Max_ to understand the ways his father has hurt him, but the younger man is still so caught up in this idea that his dad actually cares about his feelings that he is blind to the truth that’s so obvious to everyone around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a gentle reminder that this is a work of fiction and that I in no way imply that the people in this story actually feel/think the way I describe them in here.
> 
> That being said, I'd love to know what you think of this chapter :)
> 
> All the love,  
> Johanna


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**Day 3, 18:33, Control Room  
**

* * *

“Look who’s back!” Jenson exclaims, pointing at Toto who is currently taking a seat next to Christian and Fernando.   
“What did I miss?” the Austrian asks with a small smile playing on his lips, while his dark eyebrow is slightly lifted.

“Let me just say; _a lot_ ,” Jenson says, taking a dramatic breath.   
“We’ve seen serious drama unfolding,” Christian confirms, the frown on his face giving away that he is anything but pleased with the events of the third day of the Adventure Race.

“What about the score board?” Toto asks, the camera zooming in on him, since he has in fact missed out on most of the things that have been happening over the day.

“We have a pretty solid lead for Nico and Lewis at the moment. Or _brocedes_ , as some fans call them, right?”  
“Brocedes?” Toto echoes, his eyebrow shooting up higher. The confusion on his face does not look very believable, though.   
“Yes, _brocedes_ ,” Jenson confirms, the word making him chuckle.

“And that lead is even more surprising since we’ve seen a bit of a, well, weakness from the German,” he explains and the confusion that is now showing on Toto’s face is an honest one.   
“Why? What happened?”

“He was frozen during the wild-water rafting, no?” Fernando comments, “Paralyzed, as you say.”   
“Nico? Nico Rosberg?” Toto asks in disbelief and all three men around him nod at his question.

“What about the other teams?” the Mercedes team principal asks shortly after.   
Jenson’s face darkens when he thinks of what happened to Charles Leclerc.

“We’ve seen Leclerc go overboard of the raft, after a collision with our rookie team.”   
Worry lights up Toto’s dark eyes and he blinks a few times, “A collision? Is he okay?”

“It looked bad,” Fernando says, his voice serious, “he ended up under the rafts and the stream is very dangerous, no?”   
“But he seems to be okay. Gasly and him are currently at Checkpoint #2 and he is receiving medical care.”

“Always Leclerc, huh?” Christian says and Jenson shrugs his shoulders.  
“A lot of bad luck for the Ferrari driver so far.”

__

**Day 3, 18:33, Team Pierre & Charles**   
**Position: at Checkpoint #2  
**

* * *

Charles is kicking a loose stone with his feet, while he is chewing on an energy bar that tastes of nothing.   
He’s still cold, although he has been able to change into dry clothes and he can’t shake the feeling that he just really does not want to be here.  
There is no way that they will win this, so where’s the point?  
He doubts that anyone enjoys watching their miserable attempts at trying to do that enough for them to justify staying in the race, so where’s the fucking point?

He had survived the sunstroke. So far so good.   
And now he has survived nearly drowning in that hell of a stream.   
He knows that it wasn’t anyone’s fault and that he can’t blame any of the guys for what happened – but he can still remembers it too vividly, that moment when he had been pushed under the rafts and when not even the lifejacket had been able to keep him at the surface.

Despite knowing that he should not open his mouth to breathe, his body hadn’t obeyed him, and he had inhaled a flush of water.   
He’s not sure if he managed to cough all of that out after Lando had pulled him back into the raft and his lungs still hurt with every breath that he takes.

The doctors, on the other hand, have said that he is good to go – whatever that is supposed to mean. He might be in a shape good enough to continue the Eco-Challenge. It’s just that he really does not _want to_.

And he hates that Pierre is constantly looking at him in the way that he does, with that worry in his eyes. The one that seems like the Frenchman is scared that Charles could break in two every second. There are too many emotions in his eyes and the Monégasque wishes that Lando, Alex and George were still around.

He just knows that instead of looking at him like that, they would be making jokes about it by now, and Charles would have flipped them off at first before eventually rolling his eyes at them, joining in on the jokes.

“Are you ready to go?” Pierre asks him and when Charles looks up, he sees that the Alpha Tauri driver has extended a hand, waiting for him to take it.   
Charles draws in his bottom lip, looking at the hand that Pierre is offering, before he eventually lets out a sigh and takes it, letting the older man pull him up.

Pierre wraps an arm around his shoulder and Charles leans into the touch, into the affection that Pierre grants him.  
“You’re very strong, you know that?” Pierre asks and the Monégasque turns his head into his direction, glancing at him.

“Because I didn’t drown today?” he snorts and Pierre’s eyes sparkle at him.   
The French tousles Charles’ hair, chuckling softly.   
“No,” he drawls, his blue eyes fixed on Charles.   
“I know you don’t want to be here, but you’re still in the race. You’re pushing, even though you don’t want to.”  
Charles rolls his eyes at Pierre, but he also can’t stop a small smile from playing on his lips.   
Pierre leans his forehead against his temple for a second and then gives his shoulder a squeeze.

__

**Day 3, 19:00, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: on the way to Checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

The way to the next checkpoint, the third checkpoint of the second leg of the race, is another hike – which this time actually lives up to its name.   
It is getting dark again already and it’s getting hard to tell the difference between the days, all of them somehow blurring into one.  
Lewis starts to get the impression that during an Adventure Race, there are actually only three days; the first one, the middle, and the last one.

He knows that they probably won’t get any sleep before they will reach the second Camp on the fourth day, but despite the awful experience that the rafting-section has been, he still feels relatively fit for the way ahead.  
Nico, on the other hand, is breathing heavily behind him, and Lewis guesses that’s it is probably the aftermaths of the panic the German has experienced earlier.   
Or maybe Nico simply isn’t as fit as he used to be anymore – which would only be logical, considering he is no longer a professional athlete.

Thinking of that, Lewis has to admit that Nico has been doing surprisingly well so far. They are in the lead, after all.   
He almost turns his head into the direction of the German, but catches himself when he remembers that they are wearing the head torches again, and that it would immediately draw the younger one’s attention.

The jungle is once again alive around them, the chirping sounds of insects echoing all around them, while wind blowing through the forest around them is creating a melody. Despite the sun setting, it is still incredibly warm, which is mainly caused by the high air moisture, clinging to Lewis like a second skin.   
Sweat is running down his face and he’s just glad that he got his hair braided before they came to Fiji, the neat cornrows keeping his curls out of his face.  
He binds his hair together with a tie and lets his gaze wander over the valley in front of them. From what their map and the race instructions have told them, they will have to cross the valley and then walk up the hill on the other side, but the nightfall makes it hard to guess how many miles are ahead of them. He estimates that it will take at least three more hours until they will have made it to the next checkpoint.

They haven’t yet climbed up the hill to its top, though, and while the way would probably be significantly shorter if they continued cross-country, Lewis thinks that staying on the path and not taking any risks – especially at this hour of the day – is the best option for them.

Experimenting with a shortcut and then getting lost in the jungle does not seem worth the risk to him and if his teammate was anyone but Nico, he would have discussed it with the other person.  
But Nico seems to be struggling with his body at the moment, anyway, so Lewis doesn’t mention anything and continues walking up the hill.

By the time that they have made it to the top a couple of minutes later, after facing a serious slope, the island is almost completely tinted in darkness and their head torches are the only source of light in seemingly infinite blackness.

Nico is still a couple of steps behind him, catching his breath now that they can take a short break, and Lewis does turn around to him now, watching the German.   
Nico has leaned against a rock, pulling a face when he notices the Brit’s glance.

“You need an oxygen tent?” Lewis teases and Nico shoots him a dark glare. He can tell that Nico wants to snap something back, but the German is apparently unable to say it.   
“Don’t tell me you can’t curse anymore,” Lewis snorts, raising a brow at his former teammate.   
“I’ve got kids!” Nico exclaims and Lewis laughs out loud at that.   
“Right. You’re _old_ now.”  
“I’m still in better shape than most guys,” Nico comments dryly and Lewis’ brow shoots up a little higher, his gaze running over the German’s body without saying anything.   
“And yet you can’t say a simple _fuck you_ ,” he remarks and Nico rolls his eyes.

“My bad that I try to mind my language.”  
Lewis nods, “For your kids.”   
“I don’t want them to end up with a mouth as foul as ours,” Nico says and Lewis has to laugh again. It’s a bit of a bitter laugh, he realizes, but it is a laugh still.   
He sometimes forgets how much he could laugh with Nico, back in the days.   
From time to time, it is hard to remember all the good things he used to share with the German, but Nico hadn’t been his best friend for no reasons, that much he has to admit.

But times were different back then and God, they were so _young_.  
It is easy to be friends when all you care about is racing and video games, Lewis thinks, and he has to avert his eyes.

He remembers beating Nico at gaming, remembers chasing the German on their unicycles. He remembers laughing until his ribs had hurt and he remembers tickling Nico until the younger one was gasping for air, still too stubborn to give up.   
He remembers being happy and he remembers feeling blessed, but the memories aren’t bright and happy, though.

It’s like they’re coated in a grey filter, like they are running in slow motion in hindsight and sometimes it feels like he is grieving for something that has never really died.   
It is rather that he sees those memories from a different perspective, now that he sees all of Nico’s flaws in them and now that he is unable to condone them.

Back then, he didn’t understand why Nico would never invite him over when his other friends were around, didn’t understand why the German would want to spend his birthdays with girls he barely even knew, when Lewis had made an effort to plan the perfect day for Nico.   
He didn’t understand back then but he surely understands now and spots Nico’s flaws in every happy memory he has of the other man, staining all of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts on this! :)
> 
> All the love,  
> Johanna


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**Day 3, 21:45, Team Alex, Lando & George**   
**Position: on the way to Checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

“I think I’ve just been hit by a drop of rain,” Alex informs his team members, looking up into the sky.   
Since it is completely dark by now, he cannot make out much, but the light of his head torch makes infrequent raindrops sparkle in the air like diamonds.

Lando mirrors the older one and catches a drop with his hand, his brows furrowing.   
“You think we’ll make it to the next checkpoint before it starts pouring?” he asks and George turns his way.   
“We’re still hours away from the checkpoint, mate.”  
“ _Hours_?” Lando asks incredulously, his eyes widening, “but we’ve been walking for ages! Are you sure we’re still on the right track?”

George gets their map, which he has wrapped into a clear film to protect it from the rain, and a frown appears on his even face when he studies it.   
“I’m fairly sure we are-…”  
“But?” Alex asks, sensing that the other Brit is thinking of something.

George exhales audibly, his finger ghosting over the plan for another few seconds.   
“I think-…” the Williams driver starts, looking into the jungle to their right, “I think there is a quicker way to make it to the checkpoint.”

“A quicker way?” Lando repeats, sounding equally sceptical and ecstatic, “where?”   
George reaches out a hand, pointing at the more heavily vegetated area to the side of the trekking path.   
“Instead of following this way, which leads all the way up that hill, we could try and cross this area over there.”

Alex draws in his bottom lip, thinking of his boyfriend’s proposal.   
“What do you think?” George asks, wiping more drops of rain from his face.   
“You think it could pay off?” Alex interrogates, looking wary.

George shrugs his shoulders.   
“I think it depends on the conditions we’d find. If it’s passable, it could save us about 90 minutes I think.”   
“That would mean we’d surely make it to the fourth position in the ranking, no?” Lando contemplates, his gaze wandering back and forth between his boyfriends.

“I guess,” George confirms and Alex hums in agreement.   
“So, what do you guys think?” George eventually asks them and Lando and Alex exchange a glance.

“I think we should actually risk it,” Alex says, a bit to everyone’s surprise, “if we don’t do something about our position in the race now, we might not be able to catch up with the lead teams later. The gap will just keep getting bigger.”

“I just don’t want to keep walking for hours,” Lando admits and George gives both of them a firm look.   
“It’s decided, then? We’ll take the shortcut?”

His boyfriends nod.

  
__

**Day 3, 22:02, Team Nico & Kevin**   
**Position: on the way to Checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

“Fuck this shit!” the Dane exclaims, shaking his head to get at least some water out of his hair. It hasn’t stopped raining since it has started about half an hour ago, although saying it _rains_ is probably an understatement.   
The sky has seemed to have opened all of its floodgates and now it is pouring down on him like the world’s ending.   
It is so heavy that one can barely see more than a meter ahead, despite their head torches and the additional lamp Nico has gotten from his backpack.

Kevin’s clothes are clinging to his body and it’s uncomfortable and disgusting and as if that isn’t enough, the rain has also turned the trekking path into a mudslide.   
He’s standing ankle-deep in mud and water and each of his steps makes a sound, the way his shoes are sticking to the soggy ground requiring even more energy.

“This is a fucking tropical storm,” Nico calls, the wind that has started tugging on the trees around them making it hard to understand him.   
“No shit, Sherlock!” Kevin shouts back but his words might get lost on the way.

“I can’t see anything anymore!” he hears the seat-less driver say and Kevin tries his best to make out where the trekking path ends and the jungle begins.

__

**Day 3, 22:16, Team Pierre & Charles**   
**Position: on the way to Checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

“Are we lost?” Charles asks and he shivers, while the rain has caused all his clothes to be soaking wet. It’s not exactly cold but the water on his skin cools him down still, probably because his body hasn’t yet fully recovered from his near-death experience earlier in the day.

Pierre is walking ahead of him, wading through the mud on the ground that has turned into a little river.  
The Frenchman had made him take his hand and intertwine their fingers and it had made Charles blush at first, seeming a bit childish.   
By now, however, he is glad that he has something – or someone – to hold on to, for he can’t make out anything in the darkness mixed with pouring rain.   
He can barely make out Pierre, who is just a few centimetres away from him, and holding Pierre’s hand has saved him from slipping on the muddy ground a couple of times already.

He has no choice but to trust Pierre on knowing where they’re going, whilst he is just praying that it will be over soon. He knows there is a camera team behind them and he doubts that the crew would actually leave them to die out in this jungle, but you can never know, right?   
It’s not like the crew members have better sight in these conditions or some other super power that Pierre doesn’t.

So it’s trusting the Frenchman or probably dying from slipping and rolling down some hill.   
Charles grips Pierre’s hand a little tighter.

__

**Day 3, 22:47, Team Alex, George & Lando**   
**Position: on the way to Checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

“This is the worst fucking choice anyone has ever taken!” Lando screams into the night, his voice high-pitched and he coughs when rain runs into his mouth.   
“Who made this fucking choice?!” the McLaren driver asks and lets out a shriek a second later, when he slips on the mud and barely manages to get hold of some tree next to him.

“All of us did!” George calls back from where he is walking a few metres ahead, flattening some plants with his shoes so Alex and Lando can follow.   
“Yeah, but whose _idea_ was it?” Lando shouts and Alex just sighs, pinching his nose with his fingers.

“If it wasn’t for the rain, it wouldn’t be so bad!” George says and Lando whines.   
“But it _is_ raining!”  
“You’ll thank me once we’ve made it to the checkpoint ahead of those suckers!”   
“ _If_ we make it there alive at all.”

__

  
**Day 3, 23:00, Team Nico & Lewis**   
**Position: reaching Checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

“Is that… do you see that?” Lewis asks, sounding excited.   
“I don’t see anything!” Nico replies, rain dripping from the tips of his hair. He can barely make out the Brit, even though he can’t be more than a few metres away from him.

“I’m pointing right at it!” the world champion shouts and Nico blinks, trying to get the water out of his eyes.   
“I can’t _see_ where you’re pointing! I can’t even see you!”  
He hears Lewis groan in annoyance and he can’t really blame him. Nerves have been tense ever since the storm has gathered and it didn’t exactly help with the mood.

Lewis appears next to him, or rather, _behind him_ , a few seconds later. The Brit leans over his shoulder, making sure Nico’s eyes follow his hand when he points at something ahead of them. But Nico can’t really focus on anything right now, not with the way he feels Lewis’ body heat against his back and his arm against his shoulder.

Despite the rain that is soaking them up, the older one is warm and solid, and in contrast to Nico, he hasn’t been out of breath all day.   
He tries to focus on what Lewis wants him to make out, but he _can’t_ , for his head turns towards the Brit without him having any control over it.   
Lewis blinks, now that Nico’s head torch is shining right in his face, and he feels how his breath gets caught in his lungs when Lewis slightly turns his head as well, making their gazes meet.

Lewis’ dark eyes captivate him in the way they always do, big and beautiful, and Nico swallows the feeling that is bubbling up his throat. He sees confusion in Lewis’ eyes, mixed with something else he cannot put a finger on, and if he was smarter, this would probably be the moment to look away and run.

And there is a part of him that _wants_ to run, that wants to get as much distance as possible between himself and Lewis.  
That part has always been there and back in the days, he had thought it was his voice of reason speaking.

Now, he’s not so sure about that anymore.   
He almost has to laugh at his own thoughts. That’s the whole problem, isn’t it? That he’s never sure about anything.  
He’s not like Lewis, who does everything with passion. Lewis doesn’t do anything half-heartedly. He either does things or he doesn’t, but if he does, he goes all the way with them.

Lewis is so close that he can hear him breathe, despite the rain and despite the wind, and yet the only thing louder is Nico’s blood rushing in his ears.   
A small frown appears on Lewis’ forehead, barely noticeable, but Nico’s eyes are roaming over the older man’s face and eventually, he has to breathe again.

The second that oxygen streams into his lungs, making his chest heave, his shoulder heaves as well and Lewis suddenly flinches when their bodies touch again, drawing back.   
Nico chases the Brit’s gaze, while his mouth feels all dry, and Lewis looks at him in a way that Nico does not understand.   
It seems almost scared and Nico wants to ask him, wants to know what it is that he is scared of, but he doesn’t trust his voice right now and he’s sure that Lewis wouldn’t answer him, anyway.

It leaves him feeling hollow and empty, and he knows that he has lost something he used to take for granted.   
When he had been younger, he hadn’t thought of what it was that he had with Lewis, never really thinking it through, because there hadn’t been the need to. It had been the most natural thing in the world, their friendship, and _of course_ he had taken it for granted. He had been young.

Lewis had been his best friend, had always been around, and things had been easy back then.   
He hadn’t known how special it was, hadn’t realized that until things had turned complicated and bitter and heart-breaking, but oh-so-beautiful, and so breath-taking.

He hadn’t known that what he had shared with Lewis, he would never get to share with anyone again, because no one was like him.   
Or maybe he had sensed it, but had ignored it until it had been too late. Maybe he had known it all along and maybe he had known that it had the potential to leave him in pieces, broken, but had chosen to bury it deep.

He doesn’t _know_ if it had been a conscious decision, for he has never found the courage to figure it out. He has never bothered.  
And he knows that Lewis blames him for that, every day, and it’s the kind of thing that he can never make up for.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

**Day 3, 23:55, Team Lance & Daniil**   
**Position: arriving at Checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

Getting into the pop-up pavilion feels like coming home after a long race week to Lance. Because of the rain, walls have been attached to the grey pavilion and he can’t help a sigh from dropping from his lips when he discovers that they’ve got a portable heater in there.   
Several chairs are arranged in the tent and the Canadian spots Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg sitting in one corner, warming themselves up by the heater.

Lewis turns towards them when he hears them entering and gives Lance a small smile.   
“There’s hot tea,” he says kindly and points over to a table with several thermos bottles.   
“This is heaven,” Lance says and the Brit’s smile widens a little, although he looks just as tired as all of them do, probably.

“For how long have you been here?” Daniil asks and closes the entrance to the pavilion, shivering.   
Lance sees how Lewis glances over at Nico Rosberg, apparently waiting for the information the Russian has asked about.

“About 45 minutes, maybe?”  
Lewis nods, “We’ve decided to warm up a little and wait until the rain stops.”

Daniil pulls a face, “Not sure if that will be soon.”   
“You’ve caught us, so we’ll have to get going soon, anyhow,” Lewis jokes and Lance grins.

“So we’re second?”  
Lewis shrugs and nods, “If we’re in the lead, then yes.”  
Lance frowns, “What happened to Ricciardo and Verstappen? Weren’t they in first place at some point?”

Nico Rosberg nods, “I think they arrived at the first camp before us, actually.”  
“But they’re not here?”  
Nico shakes his head, “No, some crew members said they’ve fallen behind.”  
“Hopefully not an injury,” Lance contemplates, shedding his rain jacket and grabbing a blanket from one of the stairs.

“Do you want some tea?” Daniil asks and Lance turns around to face him, a bit surprised by the Russian’s question.   
“Yeah, sure, thanks!” he replies and a hesitant smile is tugging on the corners of Daniil’s lips.

Lance gratefully takes the paper cup of steaming hot tea from the older man and sits down opposite of the two world champions.   
He watches how Lewis closes his eyes, leaning back into his chair with a thick blanket drawn up to his chin, while Rosberg occasionally glances over at the Mercedes driver.

Lance is surprised that they aren’t bickering at the moment, but he contemplates that constant fights must take up a lot of energy and not even two world champions would have that in them. And apparently, they have managed to work as a team, or otherwise they wouldn’t be leading this race, he thinks.

On the other hand, Daniil and him aren’t the most synced duo either, and they have made it up the leader’s board to the second position.   
He can tell that there is a certain degree of tension underlying the exhaustion in the pop-up pavilion, though. He doesn’t know any of the two men well enough to know what exactly is going on, but they have all heard things…

He tries not to listen to the gossip too much, knowing first hand that most of the things people chitchat in the paddock is not true, anyway.   
But even Daniil seems to catch that something is going on and he and the Russian exchange a knowing look when Rosberg glances over at Lewis for about the thousandth time.

  
__

**Day 4, 00:35, Team Max & Daniel**   
**Position: at Checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

“They did _what_?” Daniel asks, eyes wide, while he is staring at Daniil in disbelief.   
“They left,” the Russian repeats, sounding a bit unsure of what Dan wants to hear from him.   
Max glares at the Alpha Tauri driver, even though Daniil isn’t looking at him. But he wants to make sure, just in case.

“There’s a _storm_ outside,” Daniel says, “it’s apocalyptic.”   
“Apocalyptic?” Max repeats with a snort, crossing his arms in front of his chest.  
“You’ve got something to say?” Daniel snaps and his eyebrows shoot up, while Max holds his gaze.   
“I’m just saying that it isn’t as bad out there as you make it sound,” Max growls and Daniel huffs, shaking his head.

“So you’d go back out there now?” he asks and it is obviously a rhetoric question, “because five minutes ago, you sounded like someone had sent you straight to hell.”   
Max doesn’t know what he is supposed to answer to that, so he just keeps on glaring at the Australian.

Dan shakes his head one more time before his eyes find Lance and Daniil again.   
“Did they say anything? Why didn’t they want to wait until the storm stops? It’s not just the rain, after all,” he asks and Daniil looks over at Lance, the Canadian shrugging his shoulders.

“I’m not sure.”  
Daniil clears his throat and Max’s head snaps up.  
“They were a bit… tense,” the Russian says and looks away when he catches Max’s dark glance.   
Daniel groans at that and the Dutch doesn’t miss the way Daniil blushes.

“Idiots, both of them,” Dan comments and lets himself fall down onto a chair.   
“How long have you been here?” he adds then, “and when did they leave?”

Lance gives his watch a look, “We arrived about 40 minutes ago and I’d say they left… maybe ten minutes ago? Daniil?”   
The Russian jumps when Lance says his name and he is blushing once again.   
“Yeah, y-you must have just missed them.”

Daniel has leaned forward on his chair, chin propped up on his knuckles, “It’s freaking dangerous out there.”   
Max can’t help but let out another snort.   
Daniel’s gaze snaps up immediately and just from the Aussie’s body language, he can tell that he’s _pissed_.

“What?” Dan growls and from the corner of his eyes, Max sees Lance and Daniil exchange a glance.   
“Nothing,” Max replies and Dan’s gaze darkens.

“No, spit it out,” the Aussie says and Max rolls his eyes, picking up a cup of water from one of the tables.   
“Come on, say it,” Dan commands and Max wants to roll his eyes again, but instead he takes a sip of his drink and wets his lips.

“I think they’re doing the right thing.”   
“The _right_ thing?” Daniil echoes and Max shoots him a dark glance so fast that the Russian presses his lips together into a thin line, averting his eyes.

“The right thing?” Daniel repeats as well, his eyebrows so high that they are almost reaching his hairline.   
“They’re getting ahead of us and expand their time advantage. It’s not like they will die out there. They just manned up.”  
“They… manned up?!” Daniel repeats and he looks at Max as if he has gone mad. The Dutchman narrows his eyes.   
“Yes.”

“Are you fucking serious?” the Aussie asks, his voice becoming a pitch higher. The look he gives Dan is challenging and the Renault driver’s eyes widen a little more.   
“So you’d go back out there? With these conditions?”   
Max shrugs his shoulders, “I’m always good in the rain.”

Dan snorts and shakes his head, mumbling something under his breath.   
“And since Lance and Daniil are obviously staying here…” Max tilts his head into the direction of the other two drivers, “it would mean a massive gain. So yes, I would go back out there. Thanks.”

“But it’s not safe!”   
“We’re Formula 1 drivers, you really think a little storm should be able to hold us back? To scare us?” Max shakes his head disbelievingly.   
“This isn’t a race track. _God_ ,” Dan brings up a hand and runs it through his dark curls.   
“It’s not like they would let us get back out there if it was actually _that_ dangerous.”

“But you’d risk it?” Daniel asks and sounds incredulous.   
“Yes, I want to risk it. We’re in a race, _Daniel_.”  
“Oh, suddenly you’re all about pushing it to the limits?”   
“So you just want to sit here and let all our hard work go to waste? Everyone will catch up with us!”   
Max feels how frustration is boiling up inside of him.

“Don’t even think about it,” Daniel comments and Max feels how his face is growing hot.   
“So you’re the decision-maker now?”  
“Yes, I am,” Dan snaps and Max grits his teeth.   
“Yeah? Why?”   
The Australian glares at him, his dark eyes piercing, “Because you’re unable to calculate risks.”

Max huffs, wondering if he has understood Dan correctly, “I’m _what_?”  
“We’re not going out there. We’ll wait until this storm is over.”  
“You can’t just decide that for both of us!”  
Dan’s look becomes more challenging and he straightens his back, “Yeah? What do you want to do? Drag me out of here?”

“This is the wrong fucking decision, Dan!” Max snaps, unable to keep his voice low, “you’re ruining our race right here and now!”   
“You know what, I don’t care! I’m not letting you go back out!”

Max’s feels how the heat is rushing through his body, making him angry.   
“Why?!”

“Because I’m _protecting_ you!”

__

**Day 4, 01:00, Control Room  
**

* * *

The cameras aren’t running at the moment – or maybe they are, but only in the background – and Toto watches the sudden outburst of hectic in the Control Room.   
Everyone is now hunched over the monitors, checking the weather data, whilst some members of the crew are speaking to local authorities on the phone.

The storm isn’t too bad where the headquarters are located, but more than a hundred kilometres away, at the third checkpoint of the second leg of the race, the situation seems to be pretty serious. Jenson is on the phone, too, although the Austrian does not know who he is talking too. Even Fernando and Christian are still there, despite the fact that their shifts ended about two hours ago.

“What’s the situation at the moment?” Toto asks Jenson, once the Brit has finished his phone call. Fernando and Christian come closer as well, the four of them forming a circle to receive updates from the fellow host.

“We’ve been in contact with the local weather station,” Jenson starts, his face serious and voice low, “they cannot make a definite forecast when the storm will travel away from checkpoint #3 and the neighbouring area.”   
“What does that mean?” Christian asks.  
“The rain seems to be heavy over there, but the local crew at the checkpoint have also said that it’s not yet bad enough for a call from the race control.”   
“What does that mean, it’s not yet bad enough?” Fernando asks and Toto shares the worry he hears in the Spaniard’s tone.

“It means that tough conditions are part of the race,” Jenson explains, “it’s also part of the race for the contestants to decide when waiting for better conditions could be the better option.”   
“Mh,” Fernando makes and runs a hand through his dark hair.

“So when _is_ it bad enough to make a jury call?” Toto asks and Jenson shrugs his shoulders and sighs.   
“To be honest, I’m not sure. I think the producers are debating that at the moment.”  
“The producers?” Fernando questions, “the FIA?”  
Jenson shrugs another time.

“We’re team principals, those are our drivers out there. Shouldn’t we be included in that decision?” Christian asks, pointing at Toto and then at himself.   
“These are professional athletes. And I know the conditions are tough but this is an Adventure Race. And it is supposed to actually mirror the real Eco-Challenges. And in case you don’t know, but in those Adventure Races, even amateurs can compete. We don’t need to sugar coat the drivers, I think.”  
“They basically _are_ amateurs,” Christian snorts and Toto can’t do much but agree with the Red Bull boss.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

**Day 4, 01:23, Control Room**

* * *

“So where are the teams at the moment?” Christian asks and pushes past the other men. They are back in front of the cameras and Toto can tell that all of them have put their media-faces back on. He’s sure that he is no exception, though.

Jenson steps closer to the flat screen on the wall, pointing at the blinking GPS signals of the drivers.   
“So we’ve got Stroll, Kvyat, Verstappen and Ricciardo at Checkpoint number 3 at the moment.”  
“What about the rest?”  
Jenson clears his throat, “So Lewis and Nico have decided to continue the race and not to wait for the storm to be over.”

The screen shows the small dot of the leading team distancing from the checkpoint.   
Toto pinches the bridge of his nose with his fingers.   
His champions wouldn’t be what they are without that constant urge to win and push ahead, but right now, he just wishes that they had made a different decision. He has a bad feeling about this and his feelings are usually to be trusted.

“Team Raikkonen-Vettel, team Magnussen-Hülkenberg and team Gasly-Leclerc are on their way to the checkpoint. They have managed to from a group of 6, making it easier for them to move on the terrain.”

“What about the rookies? I can’t see them over there,” Christian asks, a big frown on his face. The track the teams are supposed to follow is highlighted and the GPS signal of the trio is indeed not to be seen anywhere near it.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Jenson says and zooms in the map, showing an area to the other side of the checkpoint.   
“That’s because they’ve decided to take a shortcut, which means they are approaching from a different direction.”  
“A shortcut?” Christian says and nearly gapes, “there’s nothing but jungle out there!”

Jenson nods, “It is technically the shorter distance to the checkpoint, yes. However, there is basically no path for them to follow.”

“So what are they relying on? A compass?” Fernando asks, shaking his head.   
Toto takes a deep breath and tilts his head from one side to the other, trying to relax the muscles of his neck.

__

**Day 3, 02:30, Team Pierre & Charles**   
**Position: arriving at Checkpoint #3**

* * *

“What are… what are you doing here?” Charles asks, blinking at Lance, Daniil, Daniel and Max inside of the pop-up pavilion. Behind him, the rest of the guys are rushing into the warm tent and Charles is pushed to the side a bit.

He grabs a towel from a table and starts drying his hair with it.

“We’ve decided to wait until the storm is over,” Lance explains and Charles barely listens to what he is saying, his gaze wandering back and forth between Daniel and Max.  
The former teammates have basically managed to get as much distance between them as possible in the pavilion, and they have even turned their backs on each other, facing opposite walls.   
Dan is holding a steaming cup of something in his hands, apparently warming himself up, while Max has crossed his arms in front of his chest.   
The eyes of the Dutchman are closed and Charles wonders if he is actually asleep or just trying to block out the noise in the tent.

“That’s a very good idea,” Pierre says, stepping behind him, “I think it’s really dangerous out there.”   
Daniel nods at him and shoots Max a glance, but the younger one is either still asleep or not bothering with anything being said at all.

“It’s the only choice to make,” Sebastian remarks and grabs himself a towel as well, “no one should risk being out there for this challenge.”   
Charles watches how Kimi shrugs his shoulders.   
“No it _is_ ,” Sebastian makes clear, “we’ve had serious trouble even making it here. And what’s the next part going to be again?”   
“I’m not sure, but it definitely includes climbing, I’ve heard,” Nico Hülkenberg replies.

“See,” Sebastian says to Kimi, his face serious, “you can forget climbing up somewhere in this rain, anyway.”   
“No grip,” the Finn mumbles and Sebastian draws in his bottom lip.

“So are you all okay?” Daniel asks and gets up from where he is sitting, genuine worry in his voice. Charles thinks it’s nice of him to care so much.   
The Aussie gives all of them a close look and apparently decides they’ve passed the test.

“Tea, anyone?” Dan asks and he gets confirming mumbling from most of the drivers. Daniil gets up to help Dan with the tea.

Crew members come in and bring them more blankets and dry clothes, and Charles does not hesitate to shed his shirt on his spot, just wanting to get the soaking wet fabric away from him.   
While taking a new shirt from a member of the Race’s crew, his eyes meet Pierre’s, who is standing by the Thermos bottles at the other side of the small pavilion.

Before he knows what he’s doing, he _winks_ at the other man, and while he wants to run his head to the ground a second later, wondering why the _fuck_ he’s done that, he notices the way Pierre blushes in a bright shade of pink.   
Pierre’s gaze drops and he obviously tries to look anywhere that isn’t his naked torso, but Charles has never had an issue with people looking at him, so he drawls out the moment and waits until Pierre looks at him again.   
Because he just _knows_ he will and he’s proven right a couple of seconds later, when Pierre almost sheepishly looks back up.

And Charles is prepared his time, so he smirks at the older man, just to get that reaction out of him again.   
Pierre, however, does not blush another time. Instead, he slightly shakes his head and raises his eyebrow at him, running his eyes over Charles’ naked chest slowly this time.

And from one second to the other, it feels like their dynamic has turned around and it is Charles who is blushing now, cursing himself under his breath while he turns away from Pierre and hangs the dry shirt over his head.

He hears Sebastian’s uptight voice a second later and he needs a moment to figure out what everyone is talking about now.

“They went out there? Are you serious?” Nico Hülkenberg says, gaping a little.   
“You know how they are,” Daniel comments and Charles shoots Kevin Magnussen, who is standing next to him a glance.

“What’s happening?” he asks the Dane and the Haas driver seems startled by his question for a moment.   
“Lewis and Nico left the checkpoint to get to the second Camp.”   
Charles stares back at the older driver in stunned silence.

“Okay, but what about Alex, Lando and George?” the Monégasque asks, loud enough for everyone in the room to pay him attention, “they were ahead of us when we left the rafting section.”   
“Yeah, Lando saved Charles from drowning.”

About half of the drivers gape at Pierre.   
“Excuse me?” Dan asks, coming closer to Charles, “you did _what_?”

Some part of Charles actually enjoys having the full attention of everyone in the tent now. Considering he nearly died today, after all.

“George, Lando and Alex crashed into our raft,” he explains, “I… went overboard.”   
Max, who hasn’t been saying anything so far and who looked rather dead to the world, now snorts and Charles shoots him the darkest glance he can manage. Dan seems to do the same.

“What happened then?!”  
“Lando managed to pull me out of the water. So when we left the rafting section, they were ahead of us.”  
“Which means they should be here by now.”

Some drivers in the tent exchange worried glances.   
“So none of you saw them on the track?”   
Everyone shakes their heads at Lance’s question.

“Now, that’s worrying,” Daniel admits and Charles agrees.   
“Any idea what could have happened?”   
No one does.

“I think they had a camera team with them, though. So if anything happened, the race control knows.”  
“That makes it… only a little bit less worrying,” Charles says and Daniel nods.

__

Dan almost jumps when Sebastian nudges his hip, pulling him aside behind the table with hot beverages.   
“What’s…” Sebastian starts, looking a bit uncomfortable, “what’s up with Max?”  
Dan looks back at the German in surprise, raising an eyebrow.   
“Why’d you ask?”  
Sebastian looks at him with his blue eyes, tilting his head a little, “Come on, Dan… It’s obvious that something’s wrong.”

Daniel sighs and shifts his weight from one foot to the other. Seb shoots him another encouraging glance.   
“Max… Max is of the opinion that we should have followed Nico and Lewis. That they are talking a well-calculated risk to win this race.”   
Sebastian’s eyes widen a little.   
“For real?”  
The Australian nods.

“Is that all?” Sebastian then asks and Daniel wonders if they are really this easy to see through.   
“What do you mean?”  
Sebastian shrugs, giving him a close look, “I don’t know… I got the impression there’s… more?”   
Daniel lets out another sigh, more quiet this time, as he does not want any of the other drivers to pick up on their conversation.

“It’s… ehm…”  
“I’m not Lewis, but you know that you can talk to me, right?” Sebastian says, a tentative smile on his face and Dan can’t help but smile back at the German.   
“Yes, I do know that, Seb. Thank you.”   
Sebastian pats his shoulder and then waits for him to continue.

“We had a fight,” Dan eventually admits and searches the older man’s face for a reaction.   
“A fight?” Sebastian repeats, his face still open and friendly, although sympathy is now mixing into his voice.   
Dan nods and looks away, fixing some spot in the distance.   
“What was it about, if I may ask?” Sebastian sounds reserved and careful with his words.

Daniel huffs and shrugs his shoulders, “It was about Jos Verstappen.”  
“Ouh…” Sebastian says and Daniel catches his knowing smile, when the German pulls a face.   
“Yeah… He… He doesn’t even _see_ how Jos manipulates him all the time!”   
Sebastian gives him a bit of a sad smile, “That’s what manipulation is all about, isn’t it?”

The German is right with what he says and Daniel has to shake his head still.   
“I just wish… if only he recognized…” he tries to find the right words but they just won’t come to him.   
“I’m sure you’re doing your best, Dan. But you’re not responsible of that. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”   
“I-…” Dan starts, but trails off when he does not know what to reply to the older one.   
“You know I’d do everything for him, Seb,” he eventually says and the German nods.   
“It’s just…” he continues, “sometimes I… I won’t be able to live like this forever, you know?”   
The glance he gives Sebastian is almost desperate and he sees sympathy in his friend and former teammate’s eyes. He also notices how it feels good to just get the words out for once.

“The secrets… having to hide it all the time. I… I just wish things were easier. I know that Max realizing his father is a piece of shit won’t just magically solve all our problems,” he chuckles humourlessly.  
“We’re still part of a sport that relies on certain ideas of people, ideas of what men, _drivers_ , should be like. And I don’t even expect him to declare it to the whole fucking world…” he feels how his heartbeat picks up speed from talking about this, and Sebastian places a warm hand on the Australian’s arm.

Dan shrugs and brings up a hand, running it through his hair, “I don’t even know what exactly it is that I want.”  
“I think you just don’t want to hide yourself anymore,” Sebastian says quietly and Dan meets his gaze, feeling a shiver run down his spine.   
“You just want to love who you love.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

**Day 4, 02:40, Team Alex, Lando & George**   
**Position: on the way to checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

“Keep your head low!” George shouts over the roaring sound of the wind that is tugging on the trees around them.  
“And watch out in case something falls down!”

By _something_ he means the branches that have broken off the trees before, one of them missing Lando by just centimetres.   
George mentally curses himself for even proposing taking a short cut and if he had known how bad this storm would get, he never would have made them take this route in the first place.  
If Alex or Lando would get injured because of his stupid decision-…  
He doesn’t even want to think about it.   
He knows pretty well that he would not be able to forgive himself for it, ever.

So he does everything he can to get his boyfriends to the next checkpoint safely, but the conditions make it nearly impossible.   
He cannot see anything and apart from their compass, which he has nearly lost in a mudslide a couple of times, they have no tool of navigation with them.   
The map is useless in this weather and of course there are no signposts or anything alike to guide the way.

He has to fully rely on cardinal point he had made out when the rain hadn’t been so bad yet and now they can’t do anything but follow that direction, fighting through the jungle, and pray they will end up at the checkpoint or in some village where they can find shelter.

His grip is tight around Alex’ hand, holding the other man as good as he can, with their fingers intertwined. He knows that Alex is doing as much as he can to keep Lando up on his feet and together, they are forming a human chain, to battle the storm that is sweeping over the island.

Water is covering every inch of his skin and he’s pretty sure that at some point, they’ve been standing in hip-deep mud, which the water only slowly washes away now. It has gotten into his shoes and into his hair and every of their steps costs them more energy than they have left in their bodies.

George feels exhausted and tired and every inch of him is hurting, but he knows he that he has to fight, has to fight for himself and for the boys relying on him.   
It is the guilt that is driving him, the nagging feeling of knowing that he is to blame for putting his boyfriends’ lives at risk.

__

**Day 4, 03:00, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

Every time that Nico glances over at Lewis, he sees a grimly determined expression on his face. The rain seems to have gotten a little lighter, although he can’t be entirely sure. But at least he can see the Brit’s face again, although he is walking about two metres away from him.

The wind is tugging on them, though, and moving on the muddy ground is still more than just challenging, too. It feels like walking on a planet with different laws of gravity, making every step so much harder than it should be.

He is still not entirely sure if it was the right decision to leave the checkpoint and start the journey to the next camp, but for some reason, having Lewis with him makes him have faith in their mission ahead.  
The Brit radiates a calmness that surprises him, and Lewis seems to be in control of the situation. Like he is not fighting the conditions, but adapting to them.   
He has got that stoical look in his eyes, the one Nico knows just too well from when they were sharing different halves of the same garage.   
It’s the same look Lewis has on him in qualifyings, when he manages to go just a little bit faster than everyone had thought to be possible on a race track, when he pushes his car to the limit and does the seemingly impossible.

Nico realizes that he trusts Lewis to get this job done, in the same way that he always gets things done. Lewis isn’t just good at things, he has an out-of-this-world talent to understand situations and adapt to them, and Nico has always admired him for that.   
He had been jealous of it, too, plainly so, but it had mostly been admiration.

He also realizes that he isn’t scared when he’s around the world champion.   
He knows that the conditions are serious and threatening, and that they are taking a severe risk by trying to make it ahead of the others, anyway.   
But with Lewis by his side, it seems manageable, seems like it is going to be okay.

__

He doesn’t need to guess that Nico keeps looking over at him, as it is still dark and the turning of the German’s head torch gives him away.   
He is used to it by now, and even over the last years, since Nico has left the team and the sport behind, he has caught the younger man’s gaze on him more often than not.   
He has caught him looking at him from the other end of the pit lane, from the RTL or Sky motorhomes, or he’s found him staring at him during podium ceremonies.

Lewis has always found it irritating that the German still always seemed to be around, despite having quitted the sport. Where’s the point in it, then?   
He’s pretty sure that by the time that he will end his career one day, he’ll make sure not to set a foot onto a race track for a while.   
It’s his life, it’s the thing he loves doing and what he is better at than most others, but there is more to life, isn’t there?  
There are other things he enjoys and other passions he wants to pursue once his time in F1 will be over.

He can’t imagine himself staying around and giving his opinion on other drivers to everyone that asks for it.   
But he’s not like Nico, whose face is made for cameras and whose smile conveys just the right amount of authenticity. And still, he asks himself if Nico doesn’t have enough of an own life to stay away from the paddock for good.

__

**Day 4, 03:10, Team Alex, Lando & George**   
**Position: arriving at Checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

He feels so exhausted that he barely registers when the tents of the third checkpoint suddenly appear in front of them.   
After stumbling through the dark and endless jungle for hours on end, Lando has to blink, because the floodlight hurts his eyes.   
His chest is heaving quickly and his breathing is uneven, while he feels like he will fall asleep on his feet any second.

He registers that Alex squeezes his hand and presses a quick kiss against his neck, holding onto him for stabilization.   
Lando can’t even tell if it is still raining, but the wind is still tousling his hair, making him shiver since he’s completely soaked, and he’s not sure if he has actively decided to stumble forward, into the light, or of his subconscious has taken over.

He almost falls over his own feet while walking over to the biggest pavilion around and he absent-mindedly registers members of the crew coming towards them with big towels and umbrellas that don’t do much good in this storm, anyway.   
He lets someone pull him inside of the tent, into the warmth, and all of his muscles suddenly tense up.

He knows he’s cramping but at the same time, it does not feel like this is happening to _him_ , like he is some passive bystander that can’t do much about the situation.   
Someone wraps one of those big towels around him and rubs his arms up and down, probably to keep him warm.   
With all the things he does _not_ realize, the thing he registers is that the person in front of him _smells_ _nice_ , and he’s suddenly pretty sure that it’s Daniel helping him out.

And he knows his eyes are open but he still can’t see things, or his brain doesn’t bother to waste any energy on processing the images.   
He hears voices, but more as a background noise, muffled and dull.

He feels how his head falls to the side, when suddenly two big hands come to rest on each side of his face, cupping his jaw.   
“Lando,” someone says, and it’s probably Dan. His eyes are still open, he can tell because they’ve started to tear up from going without blinking for too long, but he can’t make out the Australian in front of him.

He feels Dan’s thumbs brushing over his cheek, catching the tears that are rolling down his face.   
“Lando,” Daniel repeats, his voice louder this time, “Lando, can you see me?”   
He wants to say something, anything, but his tongue seems to weigh a hundred pounds and so he just shakes his head. Or he thinks he’s shaking his head, as he can’t be entirely sure that his body is listening to him at the moment.

“Shit!” Daniel exclaims, “but you can hear me?”   
Lando nods this time.   
He lets Daniel pull him against his chest and he sighs almost contently, for Dan is warm and firm and he smells exceptionally nice, despite the fact that they’ve been adventure racing for three straight days.

“We need a medic here!” Daniel calls, while he wraps his arms around Lando, one hand against the back of his head. Lando feels like a new born from the way the Aussie is holding him, resting against the older one’s chest in absolute bliss.   
“He can’t see anything!”

 _That’s not true_ , Lando wants to say, because he’s fairly sure that he’s seen Max rushing over from where he has been sitting in a corner, and how could he know that if he couldn’t see?  
But he also can’t remember actually seeing it so what the fuck is going on with him?

He can’t tell how much time passes until Daniel lets go of him. Minutes? Hours? It is impossible to tell, but what he knows is that he does not want to leave his position, Daniel’s warmth and his scent lulling him in.

But he is torn away from the Australian, after all, and then there is a bright light shining directly into his eyes.   
“What’s going on with him?” he hears a worried voice and it takes him a second to realize it is Max that’s speaking. At first, he thinks that the question is directed at Daniel, but it must be the medic, no? Is that where the light is coming from?

But Max’s question isn’t answered immediately.   
“Can you hear me, Lando?” a foreign voice asks him and he muses that it must be the doctor.   
He nods.   
“Can you see me?”   
Lando doesn’t know how to reply to that.

“His pupils react to the light,” the medic states and Lando hears someone exhale deeply.   
“That’s good?”  
“Yes, it is.”   
“Why doesn’t he see us, then?”   
“Let me test something.”

Lando waits for another instruction, when he suddenly flinches, his whole body shying away from what is in front of him. What the-…  
“Lando,” he hears the medic say, “don’t worry. I’ve just tested something.”  
“You’ve nearly punched him in his face!” Max calls out and Lando starts to feel helpless.

“Yes, I wanted to see if he would react to it.”  
“Why? He can’t see!”  
“Well, he did, didn’t he? He flinched back from it. That means he does see what is going on here, he just can’t process it.”

“Why? How can that be?” Daniel asks and Lando would like to know that too, thank you very much.   
“It could be several things.”  
“So this is psychic?”   
“That’s what I think, yes. It could be a shock, or his body is so exhausted that it is basically shutting down. We’ll have to talk to his teammates, maybe it is a concussion.”   
“Oh my God,” Daniel says and Lando hears Max muttering something.

“See?” the Brit hears Daniel hiss, “this is what happens out there. I can’t believe you thought it would be fine to continue racing!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I completely forgot to update this yesterday, so sorry for that.  
> I hope everyone's doing fine right now
> 
> I'd love to hear what you think on this chapter and if you haven't left kudos already, it would surely mean a lot.  
> All the love,  
> Johanna


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

**Day 4, 03:15, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

They are walking by the shore of a river through a canyon, the water glistering in the light of their head torches. There is gravel under their feet and it scrunches with every of their steps, while the rain has stopped for now.   
The area looks similar to the rafting section from the day before, only that the river isn’t as much of a stream as it has been when they were rafting.   
It is clear, though, that the heavy rainfall has made the water level rise and from time to time, the space between the shore of the river and the metre-high rocks to each side is almost too small to continue walking.

“I think at the end of this canyon is the climbing part,” Lewis contemplates, his strolls still just as energetic as they were hours ago.   
The wind isn’t too bad down here, either, so walking is actually quite bearable at the moment, Nico thinks.

“I’m just not sure whether we have to pick up the second medallion _before_ or _after_ climbing,” the Brit contemplates and Nico is just glad that their conversation is mostly civil at this point. He’s too tired to bother with a fight right now.   
“Yeah, instructions weren’t clear on that,” Nico admits and they keep walking in silence. Now and then, the small riverside is so narrow that they are forced to wade through the shallow water. Luckily, their shoes are waterproof.

The problem is, though, that because of the darkness, it gets hard to tell just how deep the water is at certain points, before finding it out by stepping right in. Passing this part in broad daylight would probably be much easier and therefore quicker and Nico can’t help but wonder if making the decision to head back out could backfire in the end.

Because by the end of this night, they might be the first team to collect the second medallion of the race, but what is that worth when they will be completely exhausted and the other teams have the advantage of daylight to follow their path and catch up with them?

He shakes it off, though, as there is no point in overthinking the decision now.  
They’ve done what they’ve done and it is too late to revise it, anyway.

He keeps following Lewis through the valley, the giant rooks, like cliffs, looking almost threatening in the dark night. It almost feels like they are leaning over them, just waiting to bury them alive.

When Lewis suddenly stops walking, Nico almost collides with the older man, all but crashing into his back.   
He’s about to say something and call Lewis out, remembering their bike crash on the… was it the first day? Or the second one?  
But Lewis then turns around to him, his eyes sparkling from reflecting the light of Nico’s head torch. And the German forgets what he wanted to say, anyway, watching his former teammate attentively.

“You see that?” Lewis asks him and turns back around, pointing at something in the dark.   
“No…?” Nico replies, squinting his eyes. He cannot make out anything, whatsoever.   
“I think something is reflecting the light over there, no?” Lewis asks and makes a few steps ahead, “you got the other torch in your bag?”

Nico nods at the Brit’s question and pulls his backpack off his shoulders, opening the zip to search for the light.   
He hands it to Lewis when he’s found it, eyeing the other man curiously.

Lewis takes the torch from his hand and shines it onto the other side of the river. It is about 3 metres in width at this point and the light makes the black water look a bit less threatening.   
The Brit then raises the lamp, whatsoever, and it suddenly illuminates something opposite of them, a golden something reflecting the light in the dark.

“There!” Nico exclaims and Lewis nods.   
“That’s the second medallions, yes?” Nico asks, trying to make out what exactly it is that they are looking at.   
“I think so,” Lewis replies. From what Nico can see from the other side of the river, the medallions are hanging on a rock about two metres above the ground.

“How are we going to get over there?” he asks and Lewis does not look at him when he contemplates his question.   
“If it was day and we could see properly, I’d say we just swim over there. It’s barely more than 4-5 metres.”   
“Yes, but we can’t see much right now. No idea how deep the water is and there could be streams and swirls we don’t see.”

Lewis nods at that and Nico is at least somewhat surprised that the Brit is just agreeing with him on this.

Eventually, they find a spot about 20 metres ahead, where two rocks in the water make it possible to cross the river.   
Nico is more than glad to get his hands on the second medallion of the race and when it starts raining again, they decided to take a short rest, finding shelter under a rock overhang.

__

  
**Day 4, 03:30, Control Room  
**

* * *

“What’s the situation at the moment?”  
“We’ve got six of all seven teams at Checkpoint #3 at the moment,” Toto explains to the camera, confirming his words by pointing at the screen with GPS data.

“And team Hamilton-Rosberg has just collected the second medallion, as the first team. Obviously.”   
“What about the storm?”  
“We’ve had a period of improvement but it actually seems to get worse again right now. The rain is coming back and the local weather station has said that if there’s too much rain, dams could overflow.”

“So what will be done?”  
“I think now could be the time to make a call.”

__

**Day 4, 03:45, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

He knows they’re fucked the second the first small wave hits their feet, where they are sitting under the rock overhang to stay out of the rain.   
Because the first small wave is followed by another and _another_ and then comes a big one, and he hears Lewis scream at him to get up.   
Suddenly, water comes rushing into the canyon, more than he would have been able to imagine and the relatively small river in front of them turns into a swirling stream within seconds.

It gets clear relatively quick that they are trapped in the small bay where the medallions are hidden away, with the water washing over the rocks that has made it possible to even get here in the first place.  
He notices how Lewis shoots him a worried glance and Nico is almost shocked to see that expression on the older one’s face, for the Brit is rarely worried at something, ever. At least when it comes to challenges, that is.  
Lewis is the type of person to find solutions for a problem, to think hard and then push himself to the limits until he has managed to overcome them.

But right now, with the water level rising dramatically fast, he sees the absolute lack of ideas in Lewis’ eyes and it mirrors what he himself is feeling.   
He cranes his neck, trying to find another way out of here, except for where they have been coming from.   
How is this even possible? Sure it has started raining again, but for the water level to rise this quickly, something else has to be the cause.

“Maybe some dam broke or something!” Lewis shouts, as if he has read his thoughts, and Nico’s eyes follow the dangerous stream in front of them up to the next corner. But he can’t see anything of interest, of course, for the dam must be further away, maybe even several kilometres up the river.

They are standing in ankle deep, muddy water by now and with each decimetre that the water level goes up, Nico feels his anxiety rising as well.   
Fuck this shit, he’s not made for something like this anymore.  
He’s a dad now, a family person, someone who prefers train rides and a good book over speeding down straights. He is definitely _not_ made for this escape-room shit, with water threatening to just wash them away like branches.

“Now is the time to start cursing!” Lewis screams at him and Nico once again feels like the older man can see right through him and read his thoughts.  
And he actually has to laugh at Lewis’ comment, maybe he’s close to losing his mind, or maybe because the world champion is actually funny – it is not like he can tell right now, with the water now reaching up to their knees.

“At least we’ve got the medallion, right?” he shouts back at Lewis, letting out another hysterical laugh.   
“Calm the fuck down!” Lewis commands but it’s not really convincing, considering the Brit looks close to hyperventilating himself.   
“Okay,” Lewis then says, taking a deep breath, while his eyes wander of the still completely dark environment around them, “okay, there has to be a way to escape from here. We’ve just got to find it. We’re not going to die here.”

Lewis then shoots him a glance and there is something in his gaze, something so entirely and brutally honest that it nearly knocks Nico off his feet.   
_But what if we do?_ the German has to ask himself.  
 _What if this is it? What if we actually die here and I’ve never told you?_

For some reason, he thinks the world can’t end without Lewis knowing.   
But it _can_ and it _will_ and he might never know.

__

**Day 4, same time, Control Room  
**

* * *

“What the fuck is going on over there?” Toto doesn’t bother to keep his voice low anymore and instead he almost screams it into the Control Room, his heart beating so fast in his throat that he thinks he might throw up.

He is used to dangerous situations and being the one in front of a monitor, without being able to do anything, but usually he can rely on marshals and safety cars and a whole goddamn paddock to save his drivers from hazardous situations.

But right now, he’s forced to stand by and do absolutely nothing about it and it makes him lose his temper in a way that shocks himself just as much as it seems to shock everyone around him.   
But Lewis and Nico, they’re special to him, they are not just (former) drivers of his team. He cares for them and he has sworn to protect them, especially after throwing them into a garage together and having to watch how it made their friendship and everything else crumble day after day.

“If we have camera footage, it means we’ve got a camera team over there, no? They’ve got to do something!” he exclaims, his fist once again colliding with the table in front of him.   
He’s ashamed by the way he acts and he wishes he could stop it, but worry has taken over every cell of his body and he is unable to think rationally at the moment.

He feels how Jenson places a hand on his arm, trying to calm him down.   
“Sadly no, Toto. We have cameras there, but they are permanently installed, with the medallions. We don’t have a team on-site.”

“How can something like this happen?! We knew it’s dangerous to let them get back out there! This is our fault!”  
He nearly stumbles over his own words while his eyes are glued to the screen in front of him.   
The imagines which the camera delivers aren’t the best, considering it’s still dark, but he can make out Lewis and Nico still.

“What about a helicopter?” he calls, not entirely sure who he is even talking to, while his heartbeat is doubling in pace.   
“It is on the way,” Jenson says calmly, although Toto can tell that the Brit only put it up to comfort him.

The Austrian’s hands have formed fists so tight that his knuckles hurt and he does not dare to breath while his eyes are not leaving the monitor in front of him.   
He is forced to watch the water level rising and he has no idea how long it will take the helicopter to get there – if they even makes it in time.   
He bites down on the inside of his cheek until the taste of blood fills his whole mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like this part of the story a lot and you might have guessed by now that I am completely weak for brocedes...   
> I hope you've enjoyed this chapter
> 
> All the love & stay healthy,  
> Johanna


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

**Day 4, 04:00, Team Daniel & Max**   
**Position: at Checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

“Listen, guys!”  
Daniel’s head turns at the member of the crew that has just entered the stuffed pavilion, holding a mobile radio in her hand. It takes a few moments until she has the attention of the rest of the drivers in the tent.

“We’ve got a decision from the race control for you.”  
Dan catches Sebastian’s curios glance and Dan shrugs his shoulders to indicate that this is news for him as well.

“The stewards have made the decision to stop the race for now. Next call will be made at 06:00am.”   
“What?” Max asks, sounding incredulous, “we’ve got to wait here for two more hours? What about the time advantages? We arrived before the others, after all!”

The woman raises her eyebrow at Max and Daniel feels the urge to do the same.  
“Think of this as an…” she chuckles under her breath, “as a safety car situation. Good for you that you had a time advantage on the other teams, but it is obsolete now.”  
Dan hears Max snort at her reply, “This is unfair!”

Her lips form a thin line for a moment, her eyes narrowing, “Listen.”  
“I _am_ listening.”  
“Shut up, Max,” Dan snaps and the crew member shoots him a thankful gaze.

“Listen,” she repeats, “we have lost contact with team Hamilton-Rosberg. We have no team at their position and we are currently trying to reach them over the radio. No reply so far.”

Gasps now fill the room and Dan hears the rookies exchange worried mumbles in the back of the pavilion, while he feels his own heart drop at the news of his friends.   
“This… this could be a serious situation for them. They’ve send a helicopter from the race headquarters, but as long as we’re not entirely sure where they are, we can’t do much.”  
“But are they okay?” Dan blurts out and the apologizing glance he gets as a reply tells him all he has to know. They have no idea.

“So, no one leaves this checkpoint before the stewards have made another call at 06:00am. Until then, you can rest and get some sleep. Just fuel up a little. Next days are going to be tough.”  
Max snorts _again_ and Dan grits his teeth.   
Sometimes, he just really wants to punch the git right in his face.

__

**Day 4, 04:00, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

“Here, take my hand!” Lewis calls out from where he has climbed up one of the rocks, reaching out his hand to the German standing beneath him. The water is reaching up to Nico’s hips by now and Lewis leans forward as much as he can without causing it to lose his balance.

Nico looks up at his hand, clearly frightened, and Lewis just hopes that the younger one won’t be caught in that paralysis from the wild-water rafting again.   
“We’ve got to get up here, Nico!” he exclaims and his voice seems to snap Nico out of his thought, for the German now reaches up and wraps his hand around Lewis’.

And the Brit almost flinches at the touch, realizing that it has been years since he has touched Nico like this, since he’s touched him at all.   
Nico’s hand is cold and it sends a shiver down his spine, but once the younger one tightens his grip on him, intertwining their fingers, there is not time to think of things like that.

Lewis is now busy using all his power to pull Nico up the rock, which turns out to be harder than he thought, for while he is strong enough to hold the German, Nico keeps slipping on the wet stone.   
His clothes are soaked in water now, too, and the weight of it seems to pull the former driver back down into the water.

Nico is scared, he can tell that he is from the way his breathing has become flatter and quicker, and when their gazes interlock, Lewis sees a pleading in the other man’s eyes that makes him freeze up.   
He suddenly has to think of that scene from the Lion King, where scar leaves his own brother to die, and he almost laughs at the thought.

Does Nico think he will let him die here?   
It’s a melodramatic thought, he knows it is, for they are most certainly not going to die here. Not with a team and a whole crew around somewhere, but from the way Nico looks at him, he’s not sure if that isn’t just what the blonde thinks.

It’s completely silly, isn’t it?  
He would never… He _could_ never…  
Is this what they’ve come to? That Nico thinks he could let him die here?

He flexes the muscles of his arm and pulls as hard as he can, finally managing to get Nico up on top of the rock he’s standing at.   
They are still inside of the canyon, more rocks adding up to each side, but this part is vegetated and jungle-covered and he is fairly sure that the water won’t get to where they are now. The water from the stream, that is, for it is still pouring down on them.

“We should see if we can find some shelter from the rain!” he tells Nico, who needs a moment to catch his breath, “and then we’ll see how to proceed from here.”  
“I think I’ve got a tarpaulin in my backpack somewhere,” Nico replies, once his breathing as become calmer again.   
Lewis nods, “Let’s see if we can span it.”

__

  
**Day 4, same time, Control Room  
**

* * *

“I think I’ve got something!” Jenson declares, holding a walkie-talkie in his hands, “here, listen!”  
He almost pushes the item into Toto’s face, who takes it from the Brit and turns up the volume.

“Nico? Lewis? Can you hear me?”  
There is a scrunching noise coming out of the speakers of the two-way radio and Toto is about to feel disappointed again, when he suddenly hears a voice.

“Hello?” he asks again, telling everyone else in the Control Room to shut up by a wave of his hand.   
“Lewis? Nico?”

“Toto?” it suddenly comes from the speakers and Toto nearly falls off his chair from the relief that washes over him upon hearing his former driver’s voice.   
“Nico, this is Toto.”  
“Toto,” Nico repeats and sounds at least just as relieved as his former boss.   
“Where are you? Are you okay?”

The German’s voice sounds muffled through the speakers of the radio and the connection doesn’t seem to be very stable.   
“We’ve climbed up some rocks but as long as the water level doesn’t fall, we’re basically stuck here.”  
“Okay, copy that. But you’re okay?”

Toto’s heart almost drops again when it takes Nico a while to reply to his question.   
“Yes, we are okay,” it comes through the speakers eventually, and Toto releases a breath he’s been holding for a while.

“We’ve send a helicopter your way,” Toto explains to the German, trying to sound as calm as possible in order to not scare the other man even more.

__

**Day 4, 04:15, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

They have managed to put up the tarp between two bushes, serving as a shelter from the rain, as well as some other plants around them.   
They have huddled up under the fabric over their heads and Nico has drawn in his legs, hugging his knees to save some body warmth.

They are sitting so close next to each other that he can feel Lewis’ warmth next to him, even though they are not touching each other. Neither of them is saying a word and one could say it’s silent, although it really isn’t.   
The water in the canyon is still rushing in between the rocks at high speed, creating a roaring sound that mixes with the noise of the rain hitting the tarp above their heads.   
It’s almost a calming sound, Nico muses, and searches for an energy bar in his backpack.

“Do you want some?” he asks Lewis and despite the loud background noise, his quiet voice suddenly seems to cut the air in two.   
Lewis turns his head into his direction, their head torches still the only source of light.   
“It’s plant-based. I checked,” he adds and the corners of Lewis’ lips twitch at that.

The Brit’s gaze drops to the bar in Nico’s hand and the world champion seems to contemplate whether or not he should accept the offer, but Lewis eventually nods.   
Nico splits the energy bar in two and hands the slightly bigger half to his former teammate.   
Lewis takes it in silence.

It’s almost cosy under their tarp and the plants, Nico muses.   
It’s a bit like building a fort of blankets and pillows as a child, only it’s not as warm and not as comfortable on the stony surface they are sitting on.   
But he’s got Lewis by his side and that’s all he needs.

The thought comes out of nowhere and it almost makes him choke, while he can’t help but turn his head and stare at the older one sitting next to him.   
Lewis is still eating the energy bar he has shared with him, while Nico knows that Lewis is aware that he is staring at him.

He knows that his former best friend has changed so much over the last years. Not just on the outside, but that’s where it shows the most. Lewis is a bit more muscular than he used to be when Nico had been his teammate and he has grown out his hair.   
He thinks it looks good on the Brit, but he is probably too biased to judge that.   
Lewis has always been beautiful to him.

The world champion suddenly turns towards him, as if he has heard that thought, and Nico swallows the lump in his throat.   
He remembers the thought he has had while the water level had kept rising just half an hour before, when he had wondered if the world could actually end before he would have said the things that he just can’t get himself to spill out.

There are so many things he wants to tell Lewis, so many things he wants to apologize for, but where would he even start?   
What good would it do to do all that now?  
He knows his chance has passed years ago.   
He has _lost_ Lewis years ago and words, no matter how genuine they might be, cannot repair the things that he has broken.

But Lewis is so close now, closer than he has been in years, and it is almost impossible to imagine that in a couple of days, he will be back at his own home, in his own bed, and this will be nothing but a memory.   
The only thing he will be left with will be the memory of having Lewis sitting next to him in the rain, in an improvised fort, with a storm around them and a storm on Nico’s mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't yet decided how I will update during the off season and if it will still be two chapters per week...  
> But since this work is pretty long, I think I will stick with 2 per week, or otherwise this will take forever until it is all uploaded.   
> But please let me know your preference.
> 
> What a season it has been...  
> Despite everything, I enjoyed this season so much, especially since the races were on a whole new level of exciting.   
> Although F1 hasn't been the same for me after Nico left haha
> 
> What was your favourite moment of the season?


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

**Day 4, 04:30, Team Daniel & Max**   
**Position: at checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

Daniel isn’t sure how he ended up speaking to Toto Wolff of all people over the radio (he wouldn’t mind having the Mercedes boss at the other end of it, though) but it seems to him like the Austrian is the most reasonable person on this planet and after having to listen to Max’s muttering for hours on end, it feels good to hear someone agree with him.

“This was definitely the right decision,” he tells Toto, speaking into the walkie-talkie that he has been handed by one of the crew members.   
“How is the situation at checkpoint #3? What about the rain?”

Daniel is standing outside of the pavilion filled with the rest of the drivers, clutching what looks like a high-tech umbrella.   
“The rain is still going strong. It’s pouring.”  
He holds a hand out from under the umbrella, feeling the drops on the palm of his hand.

“But I can’t see much, to be honest with you. It’s too dark and you don’t have much of a view from here,” he lets out a humourless laugh, but takes his finger off the button before doing so.   
The worry for his friends is a nagging feeling and he knows that he is not alone with it – he can tell that Toto is scared for Lewis and Nico as well, and so is Sebastian.

And yet, Daniel can’t help feeling alone with this, because the one person he would want to have by his side right now is apparently too busy sulking.   
What the fuck does Max even think? He shakes his head in the dark night of Fiji.   
Does it simply not go inside the Dutch’s head that sometimes enough is simply… enough?  
That winning a competition is sometimes just not worth the risk and that it is not the most important thing in the world to finish on top of a podium?

He also can’t help thinking _why_ Max thinks like that and _who_ is most certainly responsible for that. And the thought alone makes Dan grit his teeth so hard that it starts hurting, makes him want to punch someone, preferably Jos Verstappen himself, and it once again leaves him feeling so helpless and almost… sorry for his boyfriend.

Dan suddenly has to think of his own parents, who he loves and who he barely gets to see since he started racing professionally. His parents and his parents’ friends had done everything for him and for his career and he will be forever grateful for that.   
In contrast to Max, he had never had to grow up with a father watching every of his steps. Dan’s parents had always let him have his space, trusting him with his decisions and supporting him in what he did.

Jos Verstappen, on the other hand, has always made the decisions and has controlled every step Max has ever taken. Dan is sure that he would even control every of the Dutchman’s breaths, if he got the chance.   
So is that the problem? That Max had never learned, had never been _taught_ , to make his own decisions? Had never had to face the truth that parents are not always right about what they say or do or think?

He exhales a shaky breath into the night, closing his eyes for a second.

Max is still so _young_. He tends to forget that from time to time, because it feels like he has been around and in F1 for ages, but the Dutchman is barely 23.   
Dan can’t really remember what he was like at Max’s age.   
Was he just as stubborn as the other man? Just as convinced of his opinions?

He breathes in.  
No, that’s probably not it. This isn’t something that will just wear off with age, he thinks.

__

**Day 4, same time, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

The realization that he has missed Nico isn’t one that knocks him off his feet and it’s not a total surprise, but it presses all remaining oxygen out of his lungs whatsoever.   
And it’s not really a thought that pops up on his mind, it is rather a feeling rushing over him. It suddenly seems to fill his body and he bites down on his lip, as if that could stop any of it.   
But missing Nico is one thing – it does not have to mean anything.

He also misses grilled cheese from time to time – although there is an amazing cashew cheese, mind you – and he still doesn’t want to go back to eating it.

So what if he misses him?  
What is that even supposed to mean? He almost snorts at his own thoughts.  
 _What exactly do you miss? The lies? The promises he’s never been able to live up to? The way he put his career before anything else?_

 _But that’s not it, right?_ another voice inside of him asks, quietly.   
And when he turns his head, looking over at Nico sitting next to him, he knows it too.   
Nico has always been more to him than just his imperfections, more than his flaws, no matter how big they might be.

The German meets his gaze, his green eyes somewhat questioning, and instead of looking away, Lewis keeps looking at him.   
“What?” Nico eventually asks, his voice barely more than a whisper. It keeps ringing in Lewis’ ears still.   
“Nothing,” he replies and can’t read the glance Nico shoots him.   
“Okay,” the German says and he slightly tilts his head.   
“Okay,” Lewis echoes and there is a lump forming in his throat.

“How do you feel?” Nico then asks, a bit out of nowhere, and the genuine tone of his voice catches Lewis by surprise.  
He’s not used to that, no matter how many years have passed since their last season as teammates. Back then, nothing had been genuine between them, nothing civil. He’s still so used to that cutting edge in Nico’s tone that it almost makes him flinch when Nico talks to him without it in it.   
And he’s never really sure if it just won’t creep back into his voice at the next question, never sure if he can trust Nico to not just wait for the right moment to shatter him once again.

He has spent years putting up a guard, putting up walls between himself and the German, and he is physically incapable of not wondering whether this is some Trojan tactic from Nico.   
Gaining his trust now to rip him to pieces later.

“I feel worried,” Nico suddenly says, answering his own question, as if he wants to show Lewis how it’s done.   
“Why worried?” he asks and Nico pulls a face.   
“You don’t find what we’ve gone through worrying?”

Lewis’ gaze wanders over Nico’s face, “We’ve made it through.”  
“We’re still stuck.”  
“There’s a helicopter coming.”   
Nico huffs, “As if that helicopter will be able to do anything. It can’t land here.”   
Lewis’ tongue runs over his bottom lip. He’s got to give Nico that.

“Then we’ll wait until the water level falls again.”  
Nico nods, hugging his knees a bit tighter.

“I’m feeling relieved,” Lewis says and he notices how Nico’s gaze snaps up.   
He can see the question on the German’s face but the blond stays quiet, waiting for him to continue.   
“At some point, I wasn’t sure you’d make it through.”   
He’s not sure where that is suddenly coming from and he expects Nico to snap at him for it or call him out for questioning his abilities like that.   
But he doesn’t do any of it, just leans forwards a bit, now focusing some dark spot at the other side of the canyon.

“To be honest, I wasn’t sure either.”   
To say that Lewis is surprised by the other man’s words would be an understatement. In all the years that he has known Nico, he cannot remember a single time that the German would have admitted to a weakness of his and Lewis’ eyebrows rise up.

“So you were worried about me,” Nico eventually says quietly and Lewis can hear him swallow. The Brit’s mouth opens and closes and he feels his face burning.   
“I was worried you’d end our race,” he finally manages to say and Nico turns to look at him again.   
The German releases some air, “That’s what you’re worried about?”

Lewis stares at the other man, his eyes narrowing. Is Nico actually asking him that? _Nico_?  
He huffs, “You’re one to talk.”   
“Don’t turn this around now,” Nico says and Lewis gapes at his former teammate in disbelief.   
“Are you serious? _You’re_ the one who-…”  
“Yes?” Nico asks, his voice sounding almost innocent and Lewis shakes his head, pressing his lips together.

“You’re seriously blaming _me_ for wanting to win this?”  
“This race could have killed me today!”  
“You killed parts of me years ago!”

He doesn’t know where his last sentence is coming from and it leaves him in shock, the same kind of shock he can see on the German’s face in the low light of their head torches.   
He feels his heart beating in his throat and feels how anger and pain is pumped through his body.   
And there is pain on Nico’s face, he can’t deny that. It is in Nico’s bright eyes and in the lines of his lips, in the frown on his forehead and in the way he scrunches up his nose.   
There is _pain_ and there is _hurt_ and there is so much more that he doesn’t even want to think about.

And yet, he doesn’t have it in him to feel sorry for the German, not when it is him that had made him go through all of this in the first place.  
If his words manage to make Nico feel the same pain that Nico’s actions had made him feel years ago, then he will take that.

Nico keeps looking at him from his eyes filled with pain and Lewis wants to shift back, but at the same time, he is drawn towards that look in the younger man’s eyes.   
Because some part of him always breaks along when Nico does.

No one is able to hurt him in the way that Nico can, because he has never loved anyone in the way that he has loved the German.   
Nico has been his best friend before he has ever been anything else, but God, they had been so much more than that.  
Nico had been the centre of his universe, the brightest star in the night sky, and _of course_ he has missed Nico, because he hasn’t been whole since Nico left.

And he hates this Adventure Race for making him go through all of that again, because he has been _fine_ just a few days ago.   
He has learned to live with the situation, he has learned how to live in a world without Nico.   
And lately, there had even been whole days that he hadn’t thought of the German even once.

But now he’s staring right back at Nico, at his stupid face and his stupid lips, and it all seems to come crashing down on him.   
All these memories, all these promises that Nico used to whisper into his ears despite knowing that he would never be able to live up to them.

“I never meant to hurt you,” Nico says and Lewis has been so caught up in his thoughts that he flinches at the other man’s words that are suddenly disrupting the heavy silence between them.   
So he stares back at Nico, watches the way the younger one is watching him, and Nico seems to wait for him to say something, but what would that be?  
What could he say to that?

“I’ve gotten over it,” he eventually says, his voice as sober as possible, and if he has perfected anything over the last years, it is shutting people out.   
Nico closes his eyes.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

**Day 4, 05:00, Team Daniel & Max**  
**Position: at Checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

The race organisers have apparently not expected 6 of all 7 teams to stay for a rest at the third checkpoint of the second leg at the same time, which is why there are not enough tents for all the drivers.  
Improvising, Daniel had proposed that they could use some of the supply tents as well, which is why Max is now lying in between a few shelves with clothes and towels.  
The Australian is lying next to him, on his side with his back turned on Max, whilst the Dutchman is looking up at the ceiling of the tent, listening to Dan’s breath.

He’s not sure if the older man has actually fallen asleep or if he is just pretending to do so.  
Max can take a pretty good guess, though.

“I’m sure they will be okay,” he whispers into the silence of the supply tent, holding his breath to listen if there is any reaction from the Renault driver.  
He thinks he hears how Daniel’s even breathing stops for a second, but it is hard to tell.  
“Lewis is pretty tough,” he adds, still quiet enough to not wake Dan up, in case he has actually fallen asleep.

“He shouldn’t have to be tough in these conditions,” Daniel replies, just as quiet as Max has been before.  
Max inhales deeply, glancing over at the Aussie’s back.  
“Toto said that they’re sending a helicopter, didn’t he?”  
“Last thing I heard from Toto is that it can’t land. So they’ll have to wait.”  
Max draws in his bottom lip and suppresses a sigh.

Dan’s body heaves slightly with every breath that he takes and Max lets his eyes wander over his boyfriend, making sure he is at least physically okay.  
“They’ll find a solution once the sun’s up again,” the Dutchman says softly and the movement of Dan’s body tells him that the older one takes a deep breath.

Max rolls over onto his side, with one hand tucked under his cheek, and keeps staring at the back of the Australian.  
Dan hasn’t looked at him ever since they have left the pop-up pavilion and it makes him feel nervous.  
“And maybe the race can be continued when the storm’s over,” Max adds just as softly.  
“I just want them to get back to us safely,” Daniel replies quickly and the younger one closes his eyes for a second.  
“Of course I want that too.”  
“Really? Didn’t get that impression before,” Dan mutters, still facing the shelf opposite of the Dutchman.  
“Dan…” Max tries, keeping his voice low, but it the Aussie doesn’t react, apart from drawing up his thin blanket a little higher.  
“ _Dan_ …” he says another time, and edges a little closer to his boyfriend.

Before he places a hand on Daniel’s side, he hesitates, though.  
“Can I…”  
“What?” Dan snaps and Max swallows.  
“Dan-… Do you want me to stay away?”

It takes Daniel a while to reply and he eventually does turn around a little, glancing at Max over his shoulder.  
“I can’t sleep like this,” Max adds, speaking quietly.  
“Wait, are you proposing to-…”  
“No!” Max calls out, his eyes widening, “no, of course not!”  
“So?”

Max exhales deeply, “I meant I can’t sleep if you’re angry with me.”  
Daniel snorts at that.  
“I’m sorry?”  
“Don’t say you’re sorry when it’s not the truth,” Dan shoots back and it makes Max shut up, heat rushing to his cheeks.  
“Dan, can we please…” he trails off and hopes that the Aussie will say something, but the older one keeps quiet, ignoring him.

Max feels how his heart sinks and a familiar kind of fear rises in his guts.  
“Dan, please,” he repeats and he tries to ignore the way his bottom lip has started to shake.  
But the Australian still doesn’t say anything, apparently dedicated to disregarding him.  
Max actually has to bite down on his bottom lip to stop it from trembling now and he closes his eyes, trying to get the sudden images of his dad out of his mind.

“Daniel, could you just… could you just talk to me. I don’t… just don’t stop talking to me, okay?”  
He doesn’t manage to suppress the trembling in his voice and he notices how Dan’s whole body stiffens.  
“I’m…” Dan starts, his voice sounding hoarse, “I’m not going to stop talking to you. Ever.”  
Dan reaches back with one hand, his fingers searching for Max’s to pull his arm around his waist. Max closes his eyes, listening to his own heartbeat, and when he edges closer until his chest is pressed against Dan’s back, he wraps his arm tighter around the Aussie’s waist and hides his face away against Dan’s neck.

Dan is warm and he smells like home and happiness and Max draws in that scent until his lungs are so full they might burst. His hand on top of Dan’s intertwines their fingers and he feels how some of the tension wears off when Daniel gives his hand a squeeze, cuddling back against the Dutchman.

Max presses a gentle kiss onto that spot behind Dan’s ear, where his skin is particularly soft and warm.  
He knows that they have only put that fight they have had on pause and that they haven’t actually sorted this out, but as long as Dan will let him close even _when_ they are fighting, he thinks that he will be alright.  
“Try to get some sleep, will you,” Dan mutters under his breath and Max smirks against the Aussie’s skin, before he shifts a little and runs his free hand through his curls.  
“I’ll try my best,” he replies quietly and Daniel huffs, but his breathing tells Max that the Australian is about to fall asleep himself.

__

Dan closes his eyes when he feels Max’s nose against his skin, enjoying the affection the younger one is granting him.  
But there is still that weight on his ribcage that doesn’t seem to get any lighter.  
Because with every bit of love that Max gives to him, he is reminded of just how much he wishes he could have this all the time, how much he wishes he could always bath in this bliss.

And then there is that other sensation, the one that had choked him when Max had begged him to talk to him. That specific anger that doesn’t seem to wear off at all these days.

__

**Day 4, 05:30, Team Lewis & Nico**  
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

Nico can hear the helicopter above their heads, the search light illuminating their improvised fort once in a while, but Toto has already told them that it won’t be able to land over the radio.  
It has stopped raining and in the far distance, one can now make out a small stripe of light above the horizon, announcing the new day.

But the light hasn’t reached their place yet, so it is still impossible to make out anything, especially since Lewis has turned off his head torch.  
He had mumbled something about saving battery and Nico had decided that it wouldn’t make much sense to start arguing with him about it. But he is pretty sure that the batteries would last long enough.

__

**Day 4, 05:45, Team Kevin & Nico H.**  
**Position: at Checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

Like Max and Daniel, they have agreed to spending the few hours until the next call will be made in one of the supplies tents – mainly because Nico had hoped that it would give them more room than one of the regulars.  
Well, scratch that.  
The supply tent is stuffed with all sorts of things, ranging from water bottles to radios and paddles and it is so crowded that he can barely stretch out his long legs.

The air in the tent is stifling, too, and he is not anywhere close to falling asleep, tossing and turning on his camping mat.  
A part of him is just glad that the storm has forced the stewards to stop the race for a couple of hours, he just wishes he was able to make something out of the rest period.

But Kevin seems to be just as fidgety as himself and he hears the Dane moving in his sleeping bag at the other end of the tent.  
Nico eventually lets out a huff and sits up, giving up on trying to fall asleep.

“This is shit,” he says into the only relative silence of the tent, waiting for any kind of reaction.  
Kevin lets out a groan as a response and Nico looks over at his back.  
“What, exactly?” the fellow driver says through gritted teeth and Nico has to snort.

“Why are we even in this race? It’s not like we’ve got a real chance, anyway.”  
Kevin turns around at that comment, raising a brow at him.

“Not my problem if _you_ think you’ve got no chance.”  
Nico stares back at the Dane and rolls his eyes.  
“Oh, come on. As if you’ve actually got ambitions to make an effort here.”  
Kevin holds his stare and Nico smirks in triumph when he realizes that he has hit the nail right on its head.

“The only reason you’re here is your sponsor. It makes you think you’ve got a better chance at keeping your seat.”  
“So what?” Kevin snaps back at him, now sitting up as well, “maybe you should have made more of an effort to keep yours.”

He knows the Dane says it to piss him off, but Nico can’t be bothered by the younger one’s comment.  
“Or maybe you simply should have driven a bit faster,” Kevin adds, when he notices that he hasn’t managed to piss him off.

Nico, on the other hand, just smirks at him, leaning back against one of the shelves while crossing his arms in front of his chest.  
He licks his lips and shoots Kevin a challenging glance.  
“Anything else you’ve got to say?”

“Actually, yes,” the Dane replies, “but it’s more of a question. How does it feel to go out without even one podium?”  
Nico glares at the younger man, before he snorts and rolls his eyes.  
“It’s not like you’re a regular up there.”  
“Because my car’s shit,” Kevin shoots back, his blue eyes glistering in the dim light.  
“It’s not like I’ve been driving a Merc, mate,” Nico says and this time it’s Kevin who’s rolling his eyes.

The Dane runs a hand through his blond hair and sighs quietly.  
“It’s hot in here, isn’t it?” the Haas driver then asks and Nico is about to make some cheeky comment, when Kevin pulls his shirt over his head in one swift motion.  
Nico watches the process with a dry mouth, eyes roaming over the Dane’s chest.  
The wings of his tattoo spread out over his ribs, following the lines of his collar bones, and Nico has the sudden urge to lick it.  
He nearly chokes on his next breath.

And Kevin, the fucker, notices it, _of course_ , his gaze snapping up to meet Nico’s.  
Something ghosts over the Dane’s face and Nico isn’t sure what it is. Is it surprise? Amusement? Kevin’s blue eyes seem to widen for a second.

And Nico wishes he could look away, but Kevin’s body seems to be crafted by an artist and fuck this shit, why is his brain suddenly coming up with soppy metaphors?  
It’s not like he’s a 13 year old teenage girl that’s crushing on a teacher.  
He doesn’t want to _make love_ to the younger man.

The next time that their gazes meet, there is a small smirk playing on Kevin’s lips and one of the Dane’s eyebrows shoots up.  
“Enjoying the view, honey?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter of this Christmas week!  
> I've started writing a Christmas pairing for a writing challenge with friends yesterday and I've written 10k in one day, because I loved writing it a lot, but I think I will only share it on AO3 next year BUT !! I'm already excited for that haha
> 
> The story is loosely based on the Norwegian Netflix show "Home for Christmas", which you should watch if you haven't yet.  
> Have a good week!!
> 
> (It would mean so much to me if you left kudos on this work, in case you haven't done so already)


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

**Day 4, 05:58, Team Kevin & Nico H**   
**Position: at Checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

_“Enjoying the view, honey?”_

Kevin notices the way Nico slightly gapes at him at his remark and he can’t help the way his smirk curls up into a real smile for the moment.   
Who would have thought that the German is still so easily startled by their clash in Hungary a few years ago?  
He doesn’t really get what Nico is playing at, though.

“Fuck off,” the German splutters out eventually and Kevin sits up a little straighter, if only to see how Nico’s gaze drops to the tattoo on his naked chest another time. He bites down on his lip subconsciously and watches the older man in a bit of confusion.

“What I’m saying is,” Nico picks up again, and it takes Kevin a while to remember what their conversation has originally been about.  
“What I’m saying is that no one forces us to compete, right?”  
“So?” Kevin doesn’t get what Nico is hinting at, squinting his eyes.

The former Renault driver shrugs his shoulders.  
“I’m not saying that we could drop out but… we could drop out.”  
“What?!” Kevin narrows his eyes, wondering if he has actually understood the older one correctly.   
“You just want to give up?”

“Of course not,” Nico snaps.   
“Then what are you proposing?”   
“We could… go out with a bang.”  
Kevin has to snort, “ _A bang_?”  
Nico nods, tilting his head, “You know, if one of us were to get hurt and we were therefore forced to drop out…”

Kevin huffs at what the German is saying, both of his blond eyebrows shooting up.   
“The fuck, man?”   
Nico is quick to raise his hands where he is leaning against one of the shelves.   
“If you want to have the moral high ground on this, fine. _I_ would prefer some island resort and a beer over seven more days of this grind.”

Kevin glares at the German, while he can’t help but think about the older man’s words. He has a point, doesn’t he?   
And Nico can tell that he’s thinking about it, which is why that goddamn smirk is back on Nico’s face.

Kevin groans and then clears his throat with a low cough, “If we were to stage that… hypothetically speaking… who would be the one getting hurt?”

__

**Day 4, 06:00, Control Room  
**

* * *

“We’re here at the headquarters of this year’s Eco Challenge in Fiji and we have exciting news to declare,” Jenson says, speaking into the camera, whilst the rest of the commentators are sitting on presenting chairs around him.

“We have spoken to the local weather station again and we are pleased to announce that we can restart the race at 06:30.”

“This gives our teams 30 minutes to get ready and out on the track again,” Toto adds and Jenson nods at his comment.   
“I’m sure this fourth day of racing will be an exciting one, considering all our teams are now in the same position.”

“Apart from Hamilton and Rosberg,” Christian remarks, “they are still stuck somewhere close to the climbing section.”  
“That is correct,” Jenson says, “local experts have assured us, whatsoever, that the water level will fall over the next hours, so they can not only continue their race but maybe even defend their time advantage over the other teams.”

“Exactly. It will take the rest of the teams a few hours to get to the canyon, where they will collect their second medallions, before they will reach the climbing section of this fourth day.”   
“As for the climbing, team work is a necessity today.”

Christian shoots Toto a bit of amused glance at the comment and the Austrian’s face darkens somewhat, if only a little.

__

**Day 4, 06:20, Team Alex, Lando & George**   
**Position: at Checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

“How do you feel today?” George whispers, his fingers brushing over Lando’s forehead. His touch is gentle and soft and Alex’ heart blooms at the sight of his two boyfriends.   
He watches how Lando leans into the touch of the older one, sighing contently. The youngest then blinks a few times, his eyelashes fluttering, until he eventually looks up at George.

A yawn escapes from the McLaren driver’s lips and Alex smiles at him.   
“Morning, babe,” Alex mumbles and Lando’s gaze finds his in their small tent.   
They’ve slept with the younger one in the middle, as they always do, although sleeping is probably the wrong thing to say, since both him and George didn’t close their eyes once, but stayed up to watch over Lando.

“I’m feeling… a bit hungover, actually,” Lando comments, his morning voice hoarse and deeper than it usually is.   
George lets out a fond chuckle at his boyfriend’s words, “Hungover?”   
“Mhh,” Lando makes and lets out another yawn, before he stretches his legs and his arms.   
“But you can… see?” Alex asks, feeling how his heartbeat spicks up speed.

“Oh,” Lando makes, “oh, yes, I forgot about that.”  
George chuckles another time, the smile changing his whole face.   
Alex shoots the other Brit a relieved glance.   
The blond catches it with a smile still playing on his lips, and Alex can’t help thinking how blessed he is with the sight.

“I was… I was so worried,” George admits and his voice breaks by the end of the sentence, while tears well up in his eyes. Alex reaches over the squeeze the younger one’s hand.   
“It wasn’t your fault, George,” he whispers and catches Lando’s worried glance.   
“What?” the youngest of them asks, his gaze wandering back and forth between him and George.

“But taking the shortcut was my idea!” George mumbles under his breath, a single tear now rolling down his cheek while he looks away from his boyfriends, swallowing hard.   
“We all agreed,” Alex says softly, edging a little closer to the two fellow Brits.   
He reaches out a hand and cups George’s jaw, his fingers light on the Williams driver’s prominent jaw line.   
George’s skin is smooth and oh-so-soft and _flawless_ , and he brushes his thumb over his boyfriend’s cheek, catching a few more tears. He places his other hand in George’s neck and draws him close for a gentle kiss, which the other man leans into with a sniff.

“We know you’re always trying to protect us, George.”  
“I should have done better, then,” the Brit replies, his bright eyes big and sad and Alex shoots Lando a bit of a helpless glance.   
The youngest clears his throat and takes George’s hand in his.   
“So it was a shitty idea to take a short cut. Shit happens. I mean, this one over there is bound to his shitty idea by a contract,” Lando jokes and points over at Alex, who rolls his eyes.

George shoots Lando a glance and can’t help but chuckle at his words, despite the tears that are still glistering in his eyes.   
“What I’m saying is that you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself. And that I love you.”  
George sniffs another time, his face looking a bit brighter now, “I love you too, guys.”

“We will just take it slow today, okay?” Lando says and both George and Alex shoot him incredulous glances.  
“What?” Lando asks.   
“You will rest today! You don’t want to go straight back to racing, do you?”

Lando’s gaze wanders back and forth between his boyfriends, “…yes?”  
“No chance!” George exclaims and the youngest Brit frowns at him.   
“But I want us to win this!”   
“You collapsed yesterday, mate.”  
“I can do this!”  
“Listen,” George says, although Lando is listening to him, “we’ll hear what the doctors have to say, okay? We won’t do anything that they don’t approve of.”

__

**Day 2, 06:30, Team Pierre & Charles**   
**Position: at Checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

Charles watches how Pierre checks his watch almost permanently, determined not to miss the moment that the race starts again.   
Charles thinks it’s a bit silly of the Frenchman, but then again he knows how dedicated Pierre is to winning this race.   
The sun is currently rising and it is truly a beautiful sight, watching how the light slowly crawls back over the jungle of Fiji.

The other teams have assembled in front of the tents of the checkpoint as well, only the three not-actually-rookies aren’t to be seen anywhere.   
Thinking of Lando’s shape yesterday, it is not much of a surprise and he hopes that they will be able to continue the race at all.   
Thinking back of his own near-death experience yesterday, his mood drops a little further.

He examines the other teams, Sebastian and Kimi catching his eye.   
They’re both looking tired and Charles can’t help but wonder if age does play a role in this challenge, although Seb would probably kill him for that though, especially since the German isn’t even as old as some of the other drivers. Lance and Daniil, on the other hand, look pretty well rested – at least better rested than the Monégasque feels.   
Max and Daniel still seem to act tense around each other, with some safety distance between them, and Kevin and Hulk are exchanging glances now and then, which Charles thinks of as weird. But _you do you_ , he thinks.

“Let’s go!” Dan suddenly exclaims, but even his smile doesn’t look as convincing as it usually does.   
The Monégasque muses that it will be a hard day for all of them, with the previous day and the events of the night still on all of their minds.  
He doubts that anyone managed to get proper sleep – apart from Lance and Daniil, apparently – and with a whole new day of racing ahead of them, no one seems to be in the best place, mentally.

All of them leave the checkpoint together, following a trekking path, where the aftermaths of the storm are clearly visible. Now and then, they have to climb over a fallen tree that blocks the way, or watch out for deep puddles along the path.

None of them seems to be in the mood for conversation, so the teams either walk in silence or let themselves fall a few metres behind (respectively get a couple of metres ahead) to avoid having to talk to anyone.

__

**Day 4, same time, team Nico & Lewis**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

“It’s 06:30,” Nico says and Lewis keeps staring over at the other side of the canyon without showing any kind of reaction.   
“That means the race has just been restarted,” Nico adds but then falls quiet too, when Lewis doesn’t say anything.   
The silence that has spread out between them is dripping in sadness and Nico isn’t so sure where it is suddenly coming from, although Lewis’ words from a while ago still keep repeating themselves on his mind.

He knows that he has hurt Lewis in the past and what hurts him is the fact that he knows that he has done that deliberately. Not in the beginning, not when they were still kids and best friends and all these things they didn’t understand back then.   
But later, when they had both been fighting for the championship, both on and off track, when Lewis had always been just _a little_ ahead of him, he had done it on purpose.

And like they have been assured over the radio, the water level does keep falling.   
“I can’t hear the helicopter anymore,” Nico eventually says, his eyes searching the brightening sky, “do you think they’ve called it back?”  
“They couldn’t land here, anyway,” Lewis remarks and Nico looks over at him. Despite having spent the night out under a tarp and some plants in the jungle, Lewis doesn’t look like it at all, whereas the German feels like shit and is pretty sure he looks like it too.

He suppresses the sigh that bubbles up his throat, and instead digs the short nails of his right hand deep into his palm.   
The day has only just began and he is already sure that this one will be a tough one for them. Maybe not so much in terms of the race, but in light of the way that the sadness-filled air between them just seems to grow thicker and thicker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've almost forgot to upload today - almost.  
> I'm wishing merry Christmas days to all those that are celebrating and I hope you'll follow the guidelines and stay safe and healthy. 
> 
> All the love  
> Johanna


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

**Day 4, 07:45, Team Kevin & Nico H**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

They have let the other teams wander off a little, which means they are currently ranked last – or not quite, considering the rookies have stayed at the Checkpoint for a little longer.   
But Nico catches Kevin’s glance that tells him to slow down his steps a little more, in order to make sure that the other guys cannot hear them.

“So,” the Dane says once the other drivers have disappeared around the next corner, “are we… you know…”  
Nico lifts an eyebrow and can’t help but grin at the younger one. Kevin scratches his beard.   
“Are we actually going to stage an injury…” the Haas driver mutters below his breath, his words barely audible to the German, for there is a camera team following every of their steps.

Nico laughs at the way Kevin’s lips hardly move when he speaks, because it makes him feel like they’re planning a goddamn riot.

“I think we should just… wait for the next challenge and then… see what we can do.”   
“Yeah, and no one will be surprised if you fail, so that’s good,” Nico says and has to duck away when Kevin moves into his direction.

“Why do you think it will be me?” the Dane hisses and Nico laughs, crossing his arms in front of his chest.   
“Why wouldn’t it be you?”   
If “???” was an actual facial expression, it would definitely be the one showing on Kevin’s face right now, and Nico can’t help but chuckle at it once again. It almost looks cute on the younger man and the thought brings heat to Nico’s cheeks.   
He coughs and turns away, fastening his steps a little while Kevin catches up with him.

__

**Day 4, 08:00, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

The water level of the small river that had turned into a stream during the night has now actually fallen to a point where they are able to get to the other side again. The rocks that they used as a little bridge a few hours ago are now visible again and Nico feels like weight is lifted from his shoulders when they finally get back onto the other side.

“You’ve still got the medallion, right?” Lewis asks him, and his voice is quiet and almost soft and Nico doesn’t know what to make of it. But at least the Brit is saying something, disrupting the silence that had spread.

He nods as a reply and gives the older one a tentative smile.

“It’s this way, isn’t it?” Lewis asks and points into the direction of the sunrise.   
“Yes, I think we’ve got to pass through this canyon to get to the climbing section.”   
“You think we’ve got to climb a waterfall?” Lewis asks and Nico has to smile at the excitement that is suddenly showing on the world champion’s face.

“A waterfall?”   
Lewis nods enthusiastically, “I’ve wanted to come to Fiji in the off-season a few years ago and I remember reading about a waterfall you can climb here.”

Nico looks at him curiously, “Why didn’t you come here, in the end?”   
Lewis seems to be a bit surprised by the German’s question and walks a few metres before he answers him.   
“I wasn’t in the mood for a physical vacation. Mentally,” the Brit shrugs.   
“Tough season?”

Lewis shoots him a glance, “I had lost, guess that counts as a tough one.”   
Nico catches his bottom lip with his teeth.   
“The championship?” he asks, wondering if Lewis is talking about the 2016/2017 offseason.

Lewis sighs quietly, “Yeah, that too.”   
“What else?”  
The Brit turns around while walking, giving him an unreadable glance.   
“A friend, Nico.”

Lewis has turned back around before Nico can search his eyes, whilst Nico feels his heart drop at the older one’s words.   
“I think I lost something that season, too.”   
“I guess it’s easier to cope with a title to your name.”

“Have your titles ever made anything easier?”   
Lewis turns back around at that question, his eyes narrowed and their eyes meet for a brief moment.   
“No,” Lewis says, “it’s not the titles that count in the end.”

__

  
**Day 4, 09:45, Team Alex, George & Lando**   
**Position: at Checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

“He’s good to go?” George asks incredulously, stepping in front of Lando as if he wants to protect him from the doctor that has been examining him.   
The doctor blinks at the Williams driver with a tad of confusion, before she continues speaking.

“ _Good_ isn’t exactly the word I would use, but he is not in a critical condition.”   
“He couldn’t see anything just yesterday!” George exclaims and Lando starts tugging on his boyfriend’s hand. His cheeks heat up at George’s words and he wishes the older one would keep it a bit calmer.

“Yes, and my recommendation is to stay in bed and get proper rest,” the doctors says in a clear voice, “but I’ve been asked if he can continue this race and I’m of the opinion that yes, he can. At his own risk, whatsoever.”  
George snorts, “Oh, so he can continue but he needs to sign something that if it goes wrong, it’s on him?”   
“No, that’s not what I-…”  
“Well, it sounded like that’s exactly what you mean! Did they tell you to say this?”  
“Who?” she asks, squinting her eyes in confusion.   
“The producers? A sponsor? I don’t know! But I don’t want him to continue this! I’ve gotten him into it and-…”  
“George…” Lando says, keeping his voice soft, “George, I’m really feeling okay.”  
“You said you feel hungover when you woke up!”   
“George, like I said, we’ll take it slow today, okay?”

__

Day 4, 10:30, Control Room

Jenson is alone with Fernando for the moment and they are following the GPS data on the big screen on the wall.

“Four hours since the race has been restarted and our teams are still relatively close to each other,” the Brit explains into the camera, while he feels Fernando’s attentive gaze on him.  
“And even our youngest team has gotten back on track now!”

“We will pay close attention to Lando Norris, no?” Fernando says, pronouncing the McLaren driver’s name in that typically Spanish way.   
“Definitely! We were all very worried for the guy last night and we’ll keep our fingers crossed for him. The doctors have given us an all-clear signal but we’ll keep an eye on him today!”

“And we have increased our local crew members to make sure that our drivers are in the best possible hands in case something doesn’t go as planned.”  
“Which we hope won’t happen.”   
“Right.”

__

**Day 4, 11:00, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

They have followed the canyon up the river, until the rocks to each side eventually opened up a little, the familiar scenery of the jungle coming back.   
And after a few more kilometres, the waterfall that Lewis has spoken about actually appears in front of them.   
The Brit has to put his head back in order to let his eyes travel up the falls that are towering up high above them.   
Water is rushing down, like it’s coming straight out of the sky, and the white mass seems to work as one organism, sparkling in the light of the sun.

“Vuwa falls,” Lewis mumbles, stunned by the sight in front of them, “I think it has a total elevation of about 700 metres.”   
“That’s insane,” Nico comments and Lewis has to agree.

The waterfalls truly are incredibly beautiful, with several streams falling down the rocks next to each other. There seem to be different levels to it, too, with water being caught and released by numerous pools.   
They enjoy the breath-taking view for a couple of more moments, until Lewis says, “The view from up there will be even better.”   
“Wait,” Nico mumbles, “we’ll have to get _up there_?”

Lewis is almost amused by the incredulous look on the German’s face.  
“Yeah, I think? The next challenge is about climbing, no?”   
“Oh my God,” Nico whispers and despite his golden skin, he seems to go pale at the thought.   
“I think it will be fun,” Lewis says and means it. He’s looking forward to the physical activity and he’s always liked climbing, although he barely has the time to do it.

“You know I don’t like heights,” Nico comments, still pale, and now that Lewis pays attention, he sees the climbing ropes and spikes that have been fixed on the hard surface of the bouldery waterfalls.   
“It will take us hours to get up there,” the German adds restrained and Lewis nods.   
“Better get going then, shouldn’t we?”

Nico’s answer is a quiet sigh.

__

  
**Day 4, same time, Team Pierre & Charles**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

“I’ve got it!” Charles declares and comes down from his tiptoes, holding the second medallion of the race in his hands. The Monégasque seems extraordinarily excited about getting his fingers on the golden piece of metal and Pierre watches the scene with an amused smile playing on his lips.   
The walking has definitely been good for the Ferrari driver’s mood, just like the fact that they have managed to get ahead of Sebastian, Kimi, Hulk and Kevin, as well as Daniil and Lance, which means they are probably in the third place at the moment.

If he remembers correctly, that’s the highest they have ever been on the scoreboard and it seems to work wonders on Charles’ moral, too.   
The Monégasque had even grabbed a black bandana from his backpack, binding it in his neck to keep his wild strands of hair from falling into his face.   
It looks good on Charles in the way that everything looks good on him, and Pierre thinks it gives him a bit of an adventurer vibe.

Charles has also gotten rid of his shirt, since the sun has brought back the sticky heat, and all in all, the Monégasque makes an… interesting view at the moment.  
Not that Pierre complains, though.

“Get moving, calamar, we might catch Dan and Max if we hurry!” Charles exclaims and crosses the river with two energetic jumps that leave Pierre a bit speechless. Now where is _that_ suddenly coming from?

He’s not sure how far ahead the Australian and the Dutchman have come, but they had picked up the pace quite early after leaving the Checkpoint, and Pierre suspects that it’s the tension he had noticed last night that’s driving the former teammates ahead of the others.

“Qu'est-il arrivé?“ Pierre asks, chuckling softly.   
“What do you mean, what happened?” Charles asks from the other side of the stream, lifting a brow.   
The Frenchman takes it in, the sight of the other man with his famous bandana and without a shirt on, in a canyon in the middle of the Fijian jungle.

“Just two hours ago, you looked like you’d rather be anywhere else than competing in this race.”   
Charles’ green eyes give him a dark look.   
“I _am_ competitive, Pierre.”  
“Mhh, sure you are,” he replies, supressing another laugh.

“So will you hurry now or not?” Charles asks, waving his hands rapidly. Pierre is unable to hold in his chuckle at it and Charles rolls his eyes, placing a hand on his hip.   
“Your fault if Stroll and Kvyat catch up with us.”   
“ _Ma_ faute?” Pierre asks, rising his brows.

“Exactly,” Charles replies, his French accent as strong as it always is when he is speaking English – which they have been asked to do for the cameras and the viewers back at home.   
“I think I’m the rock of this team,” Pierre says teasingly and Charles shoots him another playfully dark glance.   
“Your first win made you a bit pretentious, no?” Charles banters at him, revealing his dazzling teeth when he grins.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

**Day 4, 11:15, Team Lewis & Nico**  
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

A local guide shows them how to put on the climbing harnesses and explains to them what they will have to pay attention to, while they are standing at the bottom of the Vuwa falls.  
They are supposed to secure each other and huge parts of the climbing won’t be about climbing at all, but about pulling oneself up the ropes with the sheer power of their biceps.

Lewis just knows that his arms will be burning by the time that they will have made it to the top of the waterfall. But despite that, he is still looking forward to the challenge and he can only imagine how rewarding the view from up there will be.  
Nico, on the other hand, looks anything but happy with the situation and Lewis has a bit of a hard time to suppress a smirk from appearing on his lips.

“If you need anything, you blow the whistle. If you fail to secure each other, you whistle. If anything doesn’t work out, use the damn whistle,” their guide says in a wide accent, grinning at them whilst a frown has appeared on his face.  
“You get that? Me and my team will be waiting at the top of the falls and we’re ready to rope down any time if needed.”

“We’ll blow the whistle, Sir,” Lewis replies and grins, while Nico looks a bit absent.  
“Did you understand me?” the guide asks, addressing Nico, who jumps when he realizes someone is talking to him.  
“Y-yes… Sir?” Nico stutters and shoots Lewis a glance that is seeking for help. Lewis just snorts at it, though, and the German flips him off when their guide isn’t looking.

“Any more questions?” they’re asked and both of them shake their heads, although Lewis is kind of sure that Nico wouldn’t even be able to form a straight sentence if he wanted to.

__

Lewis is breathing heavily while he is pulling himself up the rope.  
They aren’t climbing the actual waterfall yet, but they are crossing an area by a rope that is put up over the water beneath them.  
He is clinging to it like a sloth to a branch, with his knee pits hooked over the cord and his fists tightly wrapped around it as well.  
From the way he is hanging in the air, he is looking up into the bright sky, while he pulls himself up centimetre by centimetre. Each movement and each motion requires big effort and he has to pause in between, giving the muscles of his arms a bit of a rest.

Nico is hanging on another rope and he’s using a bit of a different technique.  
In contrast to the Brit, his knees aren’t wrapped around the cord, but his arms are, and he rather pushes himself up by tucking the rope between his feet and shoving.  
Lewis guesses he’s doing that because his arms aren’t strong enough to do the work, although he’s got to admit that it is working relatively well, so he adjusts his own technique a little, resulting in a mix of pulling and pushing.

The fact that it is growing hotter with every minute that passes by makes it even harder and after every movement, Lewis needs a longer rest period until he can push himself to repeat it all over again.

“You good?” he calls out into Nico’s direction.  
“Hell no!” Nico shouts back and Lewis laughs out loud at that, “but at least I don’t have to look down at the moment!”

They are currently only a few metres above the ground, yet this is probably as easy as it will get for the German.

“And you?” Nico asks, sounding strained.  
“I’m sweating!” Lewis answers.  
“Where?”  
Lewis releases a breath and wipes the sweat from his forehead.  
“In my butt crack, in my balls, ‘n everywhere!”

Nico chuckles at his reply but even that sounds exhausted.

__

**Day 4, same time, Team Kevin & Nico H**  
**Position: on the way to Checkpoint #3  
**

* * *

Kevin jumps when he suddenly feels Nico’s chest brushing against his back, with the taller one standing closely behind him.  
“Fuck!” he explains and Nico’s chest vibrates when he chuckles.  
“What do you want?” Kevin mumbles lowly and his eyes wander over to their camera team. The guys are currently taking a short break, the camera tucked away, while they’re eating sandwiches.

He turns around a little, so he can face the older German.  
Nico tilts his head towards the river close to them, lifting an eyebrow.  
Kevin shakes his head to make clear that he doesn’t know what the other man is implying.  
Nico rolls his eyes.

“We could stage something here,” the former driver murmurs, keeping an eye on the crew to make sure they aren’t paying them much attention at the moment.  
Kevin snorts, “Yeah, and what? One of us drowning?”  
The glance Nico sends him is serious and Kevin huffs, frowning at the other man.  
“For real?”

“What Leclerc can do…” Nico mumbles and Kevin hides his face away in the palm of his hand.  
“How many brain cells do you have? Three?” he hisses and a smirk appears on Nico’s lips.  
“Bold of you to assume it’s more than one.”

Kevin really doesn’t want to laugh at the joke, because it’s just so _bad_ , but that dumb smile on the older one’s face doesn’t really help either.  
“I might even reanimate you, if you ask nicely,” Nico mumbles under his breath and smirks.  
“I’d rather die, thanks,” Kevin shoots back and the German gives him the finger.

__

**Day 4, 11:35, Team Lewis & Nico  
**

* * *

“How do you even do this? Why aren’t you dying in the way I am?” Nico asks, gasping for breath, while the German’s face looks like he’s just bitten into a lemon.  
“I told you I’m sweating!” Lewis calls over and Nico can’t help but let out a groan.  
“And weren’t you the one who said he’s stayed in shape since retiring?” Lewis asks and he can hear the smirk in the older man’s voice.

“I did!” Nico makes sure to state, “but this isn’t what a Formula 1 driver is supposed to do!”

“Really? I didn’t notice,” Lewis jokes and Nico wishes he could shoot him a dark glance, but he’s afraid that he will slip off the rope the second that he changes his position even a little.  
They are secured, he knows that, but if he let go of the cord, he would slide all the way back down and would have to go all the way again – which is the last thing he wants, thank you very much.

“Seriously, have you been training for this? Why are you not even panting?”  
“I _am_ panting,” Lewis says and exhales a deep breath, as if to make the point.  
“Sure you are,” Nico growls and pushes himself up another few centimetres. This is definitely one of the worst things he has ever had to do – and the equation involves driving in a team with the greatest F1 driver of all time.

“Well, it’s not a surprise that I’m faster than you,” Lewis states, but his voice is light-hearted – which is a goddamn miracle in itself, considering the physical strain they are under.  
“Fuck off,” Nico shouts and Lewis just laughs out loud at that. It’s a nice laugh, Nico thinks. It sounds almost carefree.  
“Language, Rosberg,” the Brit calls and Nico just repeats his words, louder this time.

__

**Day 4, same time, Team Max & Dan**  
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

“Are we… are we going to talk about it?” Max asks and clears his throat, shooting Dan, who is walking next to him, a sheepish glance.  
“Do _you_ want to talk about it?” the Australian demands and Max averts his eyes the second the older one looks over at him.  
“I-…” he starts, but his voice breaks, “is there something to talk about?”

Daniel huffs and Max continues examining the Aussie once the Renault driver’s eyes are back on the shore in front of them.  
“You tell me, Max.”

Max hates how passive Daniel sounds, while he knows damn well that the older man is _pissed_. He’s not so sure if Dan is pissed at him – probably – or at the world in general. And he’s not sure why he has brought up the subject again, when he doesn’t even want to talk about it – which he’s sure Dan knows.

“I…” he starts again, “I don’t like when we’re not good with each other.”  
Daniel turns into his direction, lifting a dark brow.  
Max isn’t certain what it is supposed to mean, so he buries his hands deep in the pockets of his pants and bites down at the inside of his cheek.

He checks the environment for any camera teams, but they have fallen behind, probably to get a few shots of Pierre and Charles, or whoever else is behind them at the moment.

“Dan, I mean… I’m not even sure what you want from me,” he personally counts it as improvement that he is trying to see the Aussie’s side at all, but the glance that Dan sends his way tells him otherwise.  
“I think I’ve made that clear, haven’t I?” the older one asks, and despite the sharpness to his voice, Max can tell that Dan is trying to keep it together. He swallows.  
“By telling one of my mechanics to fuck off? By telling my _dad_ to fuck off?”

“What you do is none of his business, Max,” Daniel says and his voice is softer now. Like he’s explaining something to a toddler.  
“He has no business in what _we_ do.”

The implication of Dan’s words stir up something inside of him and he has to look away from the Aussie, focusing on some point in the distance.  
“Don’t you… don’t you think that’s true?” Dan questions and the silence is suddenly deafening again.

“It’s not like you’re painting it. He’s not controlling every of my steps.”  
“But he tries to do that, Max. And you care so much about what he thinks.”  
Max frowns, shaking his head, “Of course I do! He’s my dad!”  
“You say that like it’s an excuse for everything that he does! Being your dad doesn’t give him the right to hurt you!”

Max gasps at Daniel, staring at the older one and the way that Dan’s brown eyes hold his gaze.  
“My dad doesn’t hurt me! I’ve said that before!”  
“Your dad thinks queer people are fucked in the head! How does that work with not hurting you?” Daniel splutters and Max feels how his body freezes on the spot.  
Dan doesn’t understand this. He doesn’t know his dad in the way that he does.

“I’m not saying my dad is flawless!”  
“That doesn’t answer my question, Max!”  
“Which question?” he asks dryly and the Aussie lets out a low groan.  
“Of whether or not it hurts you that your dad would never accept your sexuality!”

Max feels heat rushing to his face, his cheeks warming up, “My dad has his opinions just like everyone else! He’s allowed to have that!”  
Dan’s gaze darkens and he squints his eyes, “Are you saying hating gays is an _opinion_?”  
“It’s not like he doesn’t have reasons!” Max snaps and knows it’s the wrong thing to say the second that the words have left his mouth.  
Daniel stares at him, actually completely speechless for once, while Max feels how his face heats up some more, adrenaline now making his body tingle.

“Reasons,” Daniel eventually echoes, before he brings up a hand to run it over his mouth.  
“ _Reasons_ ,” he repeats another time, shaking his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it would mean a lot if you'd leave kudos on this work <3


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

**Day 4, 11:45, Team Max & Daniel**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

_Reasons_ , he repeats on his mind another time. What the fuck is Max even talking about? Doesn’t he realize how fucked all of this is?

“Can you name me one of these reasons?” he asks, giving it everything he has to keep his voice as calm as possible. It ends up trembling, anyway.   
His eyes don’t leave Max once, for he tries to make sense of the Dutchman’s words by reading his body language. It simply doesn’t make sense, though.

Max’ mouth opens and closes several times.  
“Thought that much,” Dan mumbles and Max draws in a sharp breath.

“Listen, he does have his reasons, okay? I’m sure he does. And I can’t blame him for thinking relationships between colleagues are wrong.”  
“ _Excuse_ _me_?” Daniel snaps, unable to keep his voice down.   
He takes in a deep breath and tries to prepare himself, mentally.   
“First of all,” the Australian starts, “I’m sure that your dad didn’t just say that they are _wrong_. Second of all,” his eyes squint when he looks at Max, “have you talked to him about… this?”

“The fuck, of course I didn’t!” Max shoots back immediately and Dan tilts his head.   
“But my dad isn’t dumb!”   
“So you did talk about it.”

Max’s face narrows, “What do you mean by _it_?”  
“Did you tell him we’re in a relationship?”  
“No!” Max calls and by the look on his face, he isn’t sure what it is that Dan wanted to hear from him.   
“I didn’t tell him anything! _He_ explained his view to me!”

“His view,” Dan repeats and Max groans.  
“Can you stop repeating everything I say?”   
“What exactly did he tell you?”   
The Dutchman growls another time and runs a hand through his hair, “I don’t remember everything he said, ‘kay? There was a lot of… screaming.”  
Max’s gaze drops when he says that and that familiar ache in Dan’s chest is back in an instant. He fucking _hates_ this.

“My dad, he… like I’ve said, he wants best for me.”  
“For your _career_.”  
“Haven’t we already talked this through?” Max asks and he sounds exhausted. But Dan is exhausted too, and he knows this feeling isn’t going to leave if they don’t find a way to sort this out.   
Only it doesn’t look like there is any way out of this at all.

“You make so much effort to hide something from your dad that he probably already knows, anyway,” Daniel says quietly and this time it is him that averts his eyes, while he feels Max’s gaze on him.   
“I won’t tell him we’re dating.”  
Dan sighs at the younger one’s words, although he feels how it makes a part of him hurt.   
“You could start by telling him that he can stop sending _girls_ your way.”  
“I’m not doing that, either.”

“Why? What are you afraid of?” he asks, still keeping his voice low, but he’s looking back over at Max now. The Dutchman is looking at him like he’s lost his mind.

“You know I’ll always be there for you, Maxy. I’ll support you through whatever.”   
A shadow is ghosting over the younger man’s face and Dan can’t tell if it means that Max is opening up to him or shutting him out.

“You’ve got so many homophobic beliefs internalized that-…”  
“What?”  
“Huh?” Dan asks, blinking at his boyfriend.   
“Did you just say I’m homophobic?”   
Dan shakes his head, “No, I said that-…”  
“You know that I’m into guys, how could I be a homophobe?”

Daniel crosses his arms in front of his chest, “Oh, now you can admit to it.”  
Max snorts, “We’ve been fucking for years, what gave you the impression I _can’t_ admit to it?”  
“I don’t know, maybe the fact you’re not even comfortable kissing me around our _friends_?”

Max glares at him.   
“And for the record, I never said that you’re a homophobe. I said you’ve internalized it by growing up with a dad that lives in the 19th century.”   
Dan knows that the Dutchman wants to snap back at him, but for some reason he holds back from doing so and instead just presses his full lips together. Is it resignation?   
He doubts it’s realization.

But the Aussie thinks this might be a good moment to approach the subject again and he makes sure that Max is looking at him.   
“Don’t you think… don’t you think your life would be easier if you didn’t need to worry about your dad’s opinion on our relationship anymore?”   
Max licks his lips and the frown that has been on his face seems to deepen a little.

“What do you want from me, Dan?”  
“Just answer my question, will you?”  
Max sighs, but the Aussie takes it as a sign that the Dutchman doesn’t snap at him.

The Red Bull driver rolls his eyes and crosses his arms in front of his chest.   
“I guess.”

Daniel exhales deeply at the answer, feeling like at least some of the weight that he has been carrying on his shoulders lately is lifted – at least for now.   
“That’s… something,” he mumbles and Max doesn’t say anything to that and instead his lips just form a thin line once again.

__

  
**Day 4, 12:30, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

They have finally managed to finish the first part of the climbing stage – which means the view from the waterfall has gotten even nicer, but Nico thinks they’ve barely covered a third of the climb, so that’s that.   
He feels tired, he feels exhausted, and his brain is running short on oxygen, because his muscles are taking up too much of the air that he breathes in.   
He is panting, actually, lying flat on his back on stone that has been warmed up by the sun. Rays are shining into his face, warming up his face as well, and he closes his eyes, concentrating on his own breathing and the way his chest is heaving.

“I’m officially old!” he calls out and Lewis laughs, a sound that sets off the same adrenaline boost in Nico’s body as the roaring of an F1 engine.   
“You’re younger than me!” Lewis says, lying next to the German on the warm rock.   
“Yeah, we’re both old.”

Lewis giggles at that – actually giggles – and Nico has to chuckle.  
“What’s so funny?”  
“Nothing,” Lewis says, giggling another time, “I’m just really tired.”  
Nico’s lips curl up at that.

“Yeah, we’re definitely old.”   
Lewis lets go of a deep breath, “Remember when we used to eat Kellogg’s frosties straight from the box? Doing that would kill my stomach for days now.”   
Nico can’t stop himself from laughing out loud at that, because his daughters did just that a week ago and he had had a handful dealing with them on their sugar high.

“They just don’t taste the same if you don’t eat them from the box,” Nico says and Lewis nods in agreement, his chest still shaken by his chuckling.   
“I remember when you had too much, though, and nearly threw up during the race that day,” the Brit says, his voice disrupted by his laughter that comes up at the memory.   
“Don’t remind me of that!” Nico grins and covers his eyes with his hand, “I haven’t eaten any since that day.”

“They’re actually pretty disgusting, too much sugar,” Lewis says and Nico, who has always had a sweet tooth, shakes his head rapidly.   
“But remember when Toto accused us of eating too much sugar because we had hidden away his keys in the garage?” Nico asks and snorts, laughter bubbling up his throat.  
“God, yes, I do. He threatened that he’d put a test driver in the car for the weekend,” Lewis giggles, a high-pitched sound that warms Nico’s heart.

“He never would have done that, though.”  
“Oh, I think he would have, if only to make a point,” Lewis argues, “he even said that he might drive the _fucking_ car himself.”

Nico’s whole body is shaking and he has a hard time breathing, “Yes! He did say that! And then you got the giggles, because he had actually cursed!”   
“He was so mad at us,” Lewis says and he hiccups.   
“N-not… as mad as… h-he was after… B-Barcelona,” Nico says, his words interrupted by laughter and when he looks over at Lewis, he sees that all the laughing has brought tears to the Brit’s eyes.   
“Fuck, Barcelona,” the world champion says and he snickers, his voice breaking while he’s tearing up.

“The way we just… b-b-boom,” Nico says, his laughing once again making it almost impossible to get the words out.   
“Boom,” Lewis echoes and bends over giggling, tears streaming down his face.   
“And how you threw that… threw that steering wheel out,” Nico tries to catch his breath but fails, feeling how he’s getting more and more light-headed.  
“You saw that?”   
“I watched the highlights!”

Lewis snorts and keeps giggling, the sound of it sending shivers down Nico’s spine.  
It feels like he hasn’t heard that sound in years – which is true – and it warms him from the inside. He wants to cherish it, wants to bottle it up and keep it with him for ever, to take it out on dark and colder days, to listen to it like to a favourite song.

Happy Lewis has always been his favourite sound in the world and he rolls onto his side, to not miss one second of it.   
“You took me out like a bumper car!” he tells the Brit and Lewis’ eyes widen.   
“It was you who didn’t leave me enough space!”  
Nico snorts, while Lewis brings up a hand to wipe the tears from his cheeks, “You fucking wish!”  
“ _Language_ , Nico,” Lewis giggles and the German smirks, his chest still shaking while he tries to calm down his own breathing.

But Lewis looks over at him, with the widest possible smile plastered on his face, while he is once and again letting out a stray of giggles, and how could Nico breathe when he is looking at the most gorgeous person he has ever encountered?   
Lewis knocks the little oxygen that he manages to take in straight out of his lungs and it leaves him breathless and hypoxic and _happier_ than he has been in years.

Lewis’ dark eyes sparkle at him, laughter lines around them, and Nico has to smile back at the other man, probably looking like an idiot, but it’s not like he cares.   
They’re both lying on their sides now, breathing heavily, while they are trying to come down from their laughing fits.

__

Lewis looks over at Nico and at his sun-kissed face that is flushed from laughing that hard. His lips have curled up and the corners of his mouth seem to reach up to his ears.   
Lewis lets his gaze roam over the German’s face, taking in how his blue eyes almost disappear behind his lashes from squinting and blinking up at the sun.

He feels the warmth of the stone under him and he knows that the reason why they can’t stop laughing for the lives of them is that they’re both sleep deprived and dead tired, but he can’t bother to give a fuck.   
He doesn’t remember when he’s felt this carefree around Nico the last time, but right now, the only thing he feels is happiness.

He watches Nico trying to form another sentence, but his former teammate fails, bursting out in laughter once again. Nico’s hand sprawls out on the rock, as if to stable himself while he curls into a ball, lying on his side.  
The sight brings another round of giggles to Lewis, who feels like he can’t take his eyes off the German.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!  
> I'm having a bit of a hard time at the moment and I've forgotten to upload the new chapter, but better late than never, right?  
> I hope I'll find the energy to continue writing this fic over the next weeks, as writing always helps me a lot   
> (Don't worry, I've written like a million new chapters already, so there will be no shortage if I don't write for a few months haha)
> 
> I know these times are hard for everyone and I really hope you are doing okay. If not, things will get better again. We'll just have to fight through this.
> 
> All the love,  
> Johanna 
> 
> (Kudos would mean a lot to me)


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

**Day 4, 13:15, Team Max & Daniel**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

The first part of the climbing stage isn’t that hard for any of them.   
Max is struggling a bit more, though, since he is bulkier than his teammate.   
Daniel, on the other hand, has been forced by Michael not to skip any arm days, so he’s a few metres ahead of the Dutch while they are pulling themselves up the ropes.   
The Aussie is happy with the current task and despite Max’s concerns, he is still looking forward to the rest of the climb, dying to see the island of Fiji sprawl out underneath them once they will have made it to the top of the waterfalls.

Nico and Lewis aren’t in sight, but it’s hard to make out anyone at the falls at all, given that they are gigantic, and while he sees people in the distance and above them, he isn’t able to tell if they are fellow drivers or part of the crew.   
But at least they haven’t heard any bad news about the former Mercedes duo yet, so he assumes that they are doing fine after being forced to spend the night in the canyon due to the storm.

__

  
**Day 4, 13:25, Team Kimi & Seb**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

They arrive at the Vuwa falls shortly after the teams Leclerc-Gasly and team Stroll-Kvyat, but since they all need to receive instructions and a security talk by their guides, the time advantages do not seem to matter much at this point.   
Looking up the waterfalls, Sebastian can make out Daniel and Max in the air, currently pulling themselves up some ropes to get to what looks like the actual climbing stage of this challenge.   
The German eyes the other two men with a bit of scepticism, hoping that Kimi and him won’t lose any time during this task.

He knows that they’re both still very fit, despite the constant teasing from the others about being the oldest team in the race – well, Kimi, that is – but he has to admit that guys like Charles or Pierre might just gave a bit of an advantage during this part of the race.   
Sebastian also knows that they will probably be able to make up for the slight disadvantage throughout the rest of the Eco-Challenge, considering that they are definitely more organised than some of the other teams.

His gaze falls on Charles and how he has put on a bandana to stop his hair from falling out of his face. He feels the sudden need to remind the Monégasque to put on sunscreen, if he doesn’t want to end up with a tennis-player-like tan at the end of the week, but he suppresses the urge.  
Charles is an adult, after all, as Kimi likes to remind him.

His eyes wander over to the Finn, whose eyes are hidden behind a pair of dark sun glasses, which means that Seb can’t tell if the older driver is listening to the instructions of their guide at all. From the way Kimi is scrunching up his nose now and then, the German does deduct that the older one is listening, though.  
He has learned to read the other men throughout their years of friendship and he has gotten to learn his ways, eventually.   
When he had met the Finn for the first time, he had never known what he was thinking, and to this day, it sometimes still surprises him that they are getting along so well.

He knows that they are fundamentally different, but what they do share is their love for racing and for their kids. He trusts Kimi and he knows that Kimi trusts him and that’s what counts in days like these.

Seb’s eyes then fall upon the camera team that is following every of their steps, currently filming how they are getting instructions from their local guide.   
He glances into the camera, suddenly wondering if he is currently being watched from the other end of it, or if the recording won’t be looked at until the producers will cut the show to be streamed online.   
A part of him gets excited at the thought that he’s currently being watched, that someone is constantly looking out for him.  
He wonders if the person that he expects at the other end of the camera footage is rooting for him. Sebastian feels how his heart skips a beat and a blush starts spreading on his cheeks. He shakes his head, trying to get rid of the silly thoughts that have appeared on his mind, but he can’t help the way his pulse quickens.

He gives the camera another look, sending a tentative smile its way.  
If he’s actually being watched right now, he hopes the person knows it’s them that made him smile.

__  
  
 **Day 4, 13:55, Team Kevin & Nico**  
 **Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

“Just behave… naturally…”  
“Naturally?” Kevin snorts, “what the fuck is that supposed to mean?”  
Nico rolls his eyes, “Just behave the way you would usually behave.”   
Kevin crosses his arms in front of his chest, “I _am_ doing that, Hülkenberg.”

“The fuck you are,” the German says and Kevin glares at him, “you’re totally jumpy!”  
“Jumpy,” Kevin repeats and Nico nods intensely.   
“Everyone will know something’s up if you keep doing that.”

“Maybe it would be less obvious if you would stop whispering into my goddamn ear,” Kevin snaps and Nico presses his lips together. The Dane knows the taller one has to give him that.   
His gaze then falls onto Sebastian, who has just completed the safety instructions with them. Kevin certainly doesn’t like the pensive look that the Ferrari driver gives them.

“And fucking step back. Everyone will think we’ve became friends, after all,” he groans into Nico’s direction, who raises his eyebrow at him.   
“Friends? Us?” the German asks, “no one will believe that.”  
Kevin blinks at the taller man, who’s standing about two centimetres away from him at the moment.  
“Yeah, I don’t really get why anyone would think that,” he says sarcastically, shaking his head at the former driver.

“If anything, they’ll think we’ve fucked it out,” Nico says like it’s nothing, all but shrugging his shoulders, and Kevin nearly chokes on his own breath.   
“ _W-what_?!” he croaks out, staring at the other man, while Nico is just smirking down on him.   
“Chill,” Nico says lowly, glancing over at the other drivers to see if Kevin has drawn any attention to them, “it’s not like we actually did that.”

“ _What_ would we be fucking out?!” Kevin asks, stuttering a bit more than anticipated, and Nico’s eyes slowly come back to him.   
“Oh, come on,” is the only thing Nico says and Kevin keeps staring back at the taller one, wondering what the _fuck_ is wrong with the German.

__

**Day 4, same time, Team Alex, Lando & George**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

“I am feeling okay, guys. A tiny bit dizzy, but that’s it,” Lando says for what feels like the hundredth time, while his gaze keeps wandering back and forth between Alex and George. There is concern on both of their faces and he _gets it_ – he would probably be just as worried if it had been one of them who had struggled the previous day.   
And yet, he can’t help wondering if the reason that they’re this nervous about the whole situation is that he is the youngest, starting to feel like they don’t trust him on telling them honestly if he feels fit enough to continue racing.

Because he has told them several times that he will speak up the second he gets the impression that he is feeling unwell – he has even promised it to them, not that he’s particularly good at keeping promises, but _still_.

He knows that it is probably not fair on them, but it is starting to annoy him that they just won’t accept his answers, asking about how he’s feeling again and again.   
So he keeps reminding his boyfriends of what the doctors have said (which just makes George snort, so that’s that).

“I know my body, okay guys? I’m not stupid,” he suddenly snaps and then regrets his tone the seconds the words have left his mouth, looking at how Alex flinches.   
The two fellow Brit’s exchange a look and Lando can’t read it, doesn’t know what it is about and why they are looking at each other like that.  
It makes him feel left out, like there is something that they are talking about behind his back. It stirs up something in him that he knows has been there a while and his face darkens at the sight.

“We don’t think you’re stupid,” Alex says, softly, and Lando’s eyes narrow, though.  
When have they started to feel like they need to speak as a ‘ _we’_ now?  
“Who do you think you are, my parents?” he asks, this time less bothered by how ANGRY he sounds.

Alex and George exchange _another_ of these glances and Lando can’t help but groan, stopping his steps.   
“Is there a problem?” George asks, sounding all posh, and Lando just wants to groan again.

__

  
**Day 4, 14:10, Team Kevin & Nico**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

“You know Kevin, I think falling down from here would be really painful!” Nico calls over at the Dane, who has wrapped his arms and his legs around the ropes that they are pulling themselves up on.  
Kevin turns his head into his direction and the German feels the younger man’s piercing glance on him.

The Haas driver’s face darkens and Nico watches how his eyes trail down to the ground underneath them.   
The ropes are going over a pool of water and they are secured to _not_ fall down, after all, but Kevin had said that he would come up with some sort of plan to stage an injury. So far, the Dane has done nothing at all, whatsoever, and Nico’s arms are basically on fire already, so he would prefer the younger man to come forward with his masterplan rather sooner than later, thank you very much!

“I just hope the carabiner hooks won’t open up,” he says into the direction of the Dane, whose eyes immediately tell him to shut up. Or at least that’s what Nico makes off the threatening glance that Kevin sends his way at his words.

“The guide told us the hooks don’t open themselves, Nico!” Kevin calls out, rolling his eyes and the German narrows his eyes at the Dane.   
“But what if they do?” he asks, hoping that Kevin will catch the hint. The younger one seems to be completely stupid, though.   
“No, that just won’t happen. They don’t open up by accident. You can only open them manually!”   
“Well, I don’t trust those things, though!”

“Yeah, because you’re dumb and don’t listen to what people tell you! They’re safe!” Kevin says and Nico squints his eyes at him. Why is Kevin doing that? Why is he emphasizing that the hooks are safe when they’ve planned to blame this on a technical failure? It doesn’t make any sense!

“See!” Kevin says while his hands going to the hook that is securing him, “I can even rattle this!”  
The Dane proceeds to do just that, with his fingers curled around the carabiner, and Nico’s eyes suddenly widen.

__

  
**Day 4, same time, Control Room  
**

* * *

All of them stare at the monitor in front of Toto in silence, stunned by what they are watching. They’re looking at live footage from the waterfalls and the screen is currently showing Kevin Magnussen in a pool of water, whilst members of the crew try to get to where the driver has fallen from one of the ropes.

“What the fuck happened there?” Christian asks in disbelief, gaping at the scene that displays in front of their eyes.   
“He opened the carabiner, no?” Fernando asks incredulously.  
“Is he stupid? Why did he do that?” the Red Bull boss questions and Jenson leans in further, staring at the monitor.

“I think he wanted to show Hülkenberg how safe the hooks are. Because Hulk didn’t trust them and Magnussen was annoyed by his babbling.”  
“And then he opened the carabiner on accident? He really is stupid, no?” Fernando snorts and Jenson can’t help but agree.

“Did he hurt himself?” Toto asks and Jenson feels almost a bit bad about what he has been thinking.   
“Let’s hope he didn’t. He fell into water and it was only about ten metres, but since he wasn’t prepared for falling, he might have landed badly. With a wrong angle, even fractures are possible, no?”

“I can’t believe he’s actually fallen down that rope just because he was arguing with Hülkenberg,” Jenson comments, shaking his head at the team that has been ranked last for large parts of the race so far.   
“Didn’t we all expect something like this would happen?” Toto asks and even the Mercedes boss can’t hide the amused disbelief in his voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the kudos after the last chapter, I'm not so sure what happened, but just know that it meant a lot to me <3
> 
> Here's the new chapter and I hope you enjoyed it just as much.  
> All the love,  
> Johanna


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

**Day 4, 15:10, Team Nico & Kevin**   
**Position: on the way to the Headquarters  
**

* * *

Nico is impressed.  
That much he can’t deny.   
Even he had fallen for the Dane’s show, for the way that he had pretended to be annoyed by Nico’s question to the point where he had wanted to demonstrate the safety of the carabiner hooks, only that it had ended in a _tragic_ accident set off by Kevin accidentally opening it.

They hadn’t been that high up in the air and Nico knows that Kevin knew what he had been doing when he had fallen down into the water beneath them, but the height had been enough to set off a row of events that have gotten them into a helicopter and on the way back to the headquarters of the race.

For it had looked pretty spectacular how Kevin had landed on the surface of the water under them and even Nico had believed that the Dane might have seriously hurt himself by falling down.   
Which he didn’t – Kevin made that clear with a series of glances that he has shot into Nico’s direction – but what surprises the German more than Kevin’s abilities to fake an injury like a stuntman is the fact that the younger driver deliberately took on the role of the short-tempered idiot with this one.

In front of the members of the race crew and their local guides, Kevin had put on a pretty impressive show, pretending to feel a sharp pain in his leg and the Dane had send him threatening glances every time that Nico had trouble hiding the smirk that wanted to spread on his lips.   
But thanks to Kevin’s acting, they are now seated in a helicopter – well, Kevin is strapped to a stretcher and can’t move – but Nico muses that the younger man knew what he would get himself into beforehand.

They had been told that they would be flown back to the main island, where an X-Ray and maybe even an MRT would give information on the state of Kevin’s leg.  
Of course there won’t be much to see, but at that point, they will have retired from the race already, and no one can blame Kevin for _not_ seriously hurting himself, after all.

Nico catches Kevin’s gaze in the small cabin of the helicopter. He adjusts his headphones that shield off the noise of the aircraft and raises an eyebrow at the other man conspiratorially. Kevin responds with a wink and Nico has to suppress a pleased chuckle.

**__**

**Day 4, 16:00, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

They haven’t yet made it to the top of the waterfall, but the sight from up here is already absolutely stunning, Nico muses.  
He feels exhausted and slowly but surely, he can’t even remember anyway what it feels like not to be, but out over the jungle underneath them, he cannot deny that the view is breath-taking.

Mainly so because it quite literally doesn’t let him _breathe_.   
He has never been a fan of heights, never a fan of being out on balconies in Monaco or rooftops of some hotel, but this experience puts all of these experiences on another level.  
There is no railing he can hold onto, no barricade that would prevent him from falling over.   
There is just the ropes and the hooks in the solid yet wet rocks of Vuwa Falls that are securing him, preventing him from falling down and shattering into a dozen of pieces on the ground more than 50 metres beneath their feet.

He has tried just not to look down, to keep his gaze fixed on the rocks and the way up, but the way that the water falls down into the void, rushing into the depth right next to him, is almost hypnotizing and he cannot stop his eyes from trailing, following the foam rushing down.

“It’s just a few more metres!” he hears Lewis call from above him and the Brit’s voice sounds soft and compassionate, drawing Nico’s attention away from the height and the water around them.   
“Just keep your eyes fixed on me, okay?” Lewis says and Nico looks up at him, catching the older one’s worried glance.

He still feels his ribs hurting from all the laughing earlier today and the thought of it makes his lips twitch again when he looks at the other man.

“And then it’s just one step after the other,” Lewis says and Nico tries to focus on his voice instead of the metres between himself and the safe ground.   
“Can you keep talking to me?” he asks the Brit, his question coming out almost sheepishly, and the glance that Lewis gives him is genuinely surprised.

“It helps to… not lose focus, you know?” Nico adds and Lewis nods after a short moment.   
“Yeah, sure, man. Whatever it takes,” he says and gives him a small smile, “I wanna get us up there after all.”

__

“This is…” Nico says and he doesn’t even know how to finish his sentence. Stunning the word would probably be, then.  
“Beautiful,” Lewis says, nodding at him.  
They are standing on top of Vuwa Falls together and Nico can’t believe that they have actually made it up here. The sun is low in the sky already, tinting the island and the jungle underneath them in golden light.  
He feels the light on his skin too, comforting and warming, and while the heights are still bothering him, it is not as bad as he imagined it to be.

Sure, he feels dizzy and he rather wouldn’t step any closer to the edge of the rocks they are standing on, but the view of Fiji is just so… beautiful, as Lewis has put it, that his body seems to decide against panicking.

“I’m proud of you,” Lewis suddenly says and Nico turns towards him in surprise.  
The Brit’s words have been quiet and he looks at the German from dark, somewhat unreadable eyes. Nico smiles at the world champion and a small smile appears on Lewis’ lips, too. Warmth spreads throughout Nico’s body.

__

  
Laughing with Nico has been good, he thinks.  
It’s a stupid thought, but he feels like it has managed to mend some small part of him back together, for he wouldn’t have thought that it would ever happen again.  
He wouldn’t have thought that he would ever _allow_ himself to laugh with his former teammate again.

But he did and he can still feel it in his chest, can still feel how that laugh has felt on his lips, how it has tasted on his tongue, and it still warms him up from the inside. Even now that they are standing on top of the waterfalls and Nico is standing beside him, a bit shaky due to the heights, but with a smile on his face still.

Lewis watches him from the side, watches how he closes his eyes and lets his golden skin absorb the golden sunlight that falls upon it.  
And Lewis wonders if this is Nico’s secrets, if he soaks up the sunlight until it fills all of his cells.  
Maybe that’s the reason why he’s so drawn to him.

__

  
**Day 4, 18:00, Team Dan & Max**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #4  
**

* * *

Daniel is just glad that they have managed to reach the top of the waterfall before the sun has set, for the view from up here would be wasted in the dark.   
The sun will disappear in a couple of minutes and he tries to enjoy the sight as good as he can. He knows that Max next to him is jumpy and that the Dutchman would prefer not to waste any time on enjoying the moment, but to further close the gap to Nico and Lewis in the lead.

The Aussie has a pretty good feeling that they’ve managed to get closer to the former silver-arrows, given that neither him nor Max had much trouble with the task.

“You think we can catch them at the Camp?” Max asks and the fact that his Dutch accent is a bit stronger than usual tells Dan that the younger one is dead-tired.   
“Maybe,” he replies and Max doesn’t seem to be satisfied with his answer.   
“We definitely need to get some rest, though,” he adds insistently, already anticipating that he will have a hard time getting Max to catch some sleep.   
“That’s what the mandatory rest period is for,” Max says, stressing the _mandatory_.

“Right,” Dan says and lets his eyes trail over the jungle and the width underneath them another time. “But the last two days were draining. I want to make sure that we get enough sleep to keep doing our best.”  
“I am doing my best.”  
“I know,” Dan says and nods, “but even you need to rest from time to time.”

He watches how Max tries to fight his exhaustion, even though the Dutchman’s eyelids tend to flutter now and then.   
“I’m doing fine.”  
Daniel sighs and suddenly wishes Michael was around to talk some sense into Max. Their friend somehow always finds a way to get into the Red Bull driver’s stubborn head.

“Rest is important, Maxy,” he says, using the nickname to show his boyfriend that he’s on his side with this, and not trying to fight him.   
“And you’re allowed to rest from time to time.”

Max shoots him a glance and his hands are on his hips, impatiently waiting for Dan to finish his sunset watching.

“Let’s just push for the last kilometres. The Camp is very close to the falls, isn’t it?”

__

**Day 4, 18:30, Team Alex, George & Lando**   
**Position: on the way to Camp #2  
**

* * *

The only thing that’s worse than climbing up a waterfall that’s more than 300 metres tall is climbing it in the dark, George muses.   
With the light getting gradually worse, it has become hard to make out the stone surface that they are clinging too, and with every metre that they make, the falls just seem to become more threatening.

He knows that they’re secured and after Kevin’s crash earlier today, they have received additional climbing harnesses, yet the uneasy feeling he has about this stage of the race just won’t pass away. It’s not that he’s scared of falling – he is a Formula 1 driver, after all – but he is still worried about Lando’s condition and with the bare light now, the climbing has become even harder.

The first part of clambering the waterfall had been all about muscle power and Lando had already struggled with that one, given that the events of the previous night has left their marks on the young Brit.   
But during that stage, not much had been able to go wrong – if you’re not called Kevin Magnussen, that is.   
With the actual climbing now, on the other hand, it is all about attention and foresight, thinking ahead of not just the next grip but the couple of next ones as well.

George looks down at Alex and Lando, sending a quick prayer to whatever race God there might be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's the new chapter, hope you've liked it!
> 
> I've got to say that I've always got a little bit of a hard time relating to my seasonal Formula 1 obsession during the winter break, especially since I'm a huuuge wintersport fan, which somehow takes up all my time at the moment (next to Uni, that is).
> 
> What are some sports you follow in the F1 season? For me it's definitely wintersports, especially Biathlon, Alpine Skiing and ski jumping, as well as Tennis.
> 
> All the love,   
> Johanna


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

**Day 4, 18:30, Control Room  
**

* * *

“It is 18:30 on our fourth Day of racing and a few hours ago, the first team has been forced to withdraw from the race. Having started with seven teams, we’re now down to six! Is this a sign that the drivers now need to pay tribute to the extreme conditions of this Eco-Challenge?”   
The camera is focused on Jenson, who is standing in the Control Room with his hands folded in front of his body.  
“Team Hülkenberg-Magnussen has dropped out of the race due to a… series of unfortunate events.”  
For the blink of an eye, an amused smile is ghosting over the Brit’s face, but it is gone in an instant.

“Kevin Magnussen has been flown to the nearest hospital, where the doctors will check on him. A return on the race track is, however, not possible. Rules are clear on that. And the same goes for Nico Hülkenberg.”  
“If one member of the team is out, everyone’s out,” Toto confirms and almost apologetically shrugs his shoulders.

“I don’t want to be around when those two talk about what happens,” Jenson says with a chuckle and pulls a grimace at the camera.  
“Our other six teams, whatsoever, are starting to arrive at the second Camp. Team Rosberg-Hamilton is still in the lead and have been for nearly the entire race so far,” Jenson turns towards the Mercedes boss, “now that is a quite impressive thing, Toto.”

The Austrian simply smiles modestly and nods along.   
“Team Ricciardo-Verstappen is closing the gap to our leaders, though. And Leclerc-Gasly aren’t too far off anymore, either,” Jenson raises a hand and points at the screen next to him, which once again provides the GPS data of the drivers, “and this is still just the fourth day of racing.”

“Like we’ve said before, you cannot win this Eco-Challenge in a single day. But you can sure lose it in one.”  
Jenson nods at that, “If only our drivers knew what else is waiting for them... Maybe they’d decide to extend their rest periods, no?”  
Toto nods in agreement, “If I was in their position, I’d certainly do that. But the point is, they don’t know the tasks that are still waiting for them.”

“Who do you expect to manage their resources best?”   
Toto thinks about the former driver’s question for a moment, before he tilts his head to the side in thought, “I think Kimi and Sebastian have a good chance with that one.”  
Jenson is surprised by the Austrian’s answer, ready to inquire it further.  
“How so?”

“Sebastian is a very calm personality when it comes to planning things. He’s someone that thinks ahead… which could be an advantage in a race like this one.”  
“In contrast to some of the younger drivers, you mean,” Jenson says and chuckles. A small smile appears on the Mercedes boss’s face as well.

“It’s not a secret that guys like Verstappen or Leclerc aren’t the most patient competitors.”  
Jenson almost snorts at that and pulls a face.  
“Definitely no.”

The Brit then clears his throat and looks back into the camera.  
“So, what else do we got? I think we’ll try to get an interview from Kevin Magnussen and from Hulk as soon as possible. For the other drivers…” he once again goes back to the screen on the wall next to him, “we’ll get their comments at Camp number 2. And we’ve already got a guy on-site that knows most of the drivers pretty well.”  
An expectant smile lights up Jenson’s face and he turns towards another screen, where a live connection to Camp #2 with Fernando Alonso appears.

“Nando!” Jenson says, before he coughs, “Fernando, you’re at the Camp. Have any of the drivers arrived already? What do you have for us?”   
Screen-Fernando smirks and nods along to Jenson’s words, before he pulls up a microphone.   
“Test… test…” the Spaniard says, “you can hear me?”  
“We hear you loud and clear,” Jenson declares and waits for the former world champion to continue.

“I think Hamilton and Rosberg have just arrived at the Camp,” Fernando tells them and turns away from the camera, accidentally stepping out of the light that is directed at him, given that it’s dark in Fiji by now.   
“Nando, we can’t see you!” Jenson says, a bit amusement by the former and soon-to-be-again driver’s attempt at media coverage.   
“Oh, sorry,” the Spaniard says and is back in the light, “yes, Rosberg and Hamilton are here. I’ll interview them soon, no?”   
“I’m sure we’re all looking forward to it.”  
“I prepared some good questions,” Fernando says and the smirk that is now playing on his lips looks a bit worrying to Jenson.

**__**

**Day 4, 18:45, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: at Camp #2  
**

* * *

Lewis has almost forgotten about the interviewing, until Fernando Alonso suddenly appears out of nowhere – he hasn’t even known that the Spaniard is involved in this project until now. But he’s just glad that it’s not Toto doing the interviews today. He likes the man a lot, but right now, he just doesn’t really want to deal with him and all his knowing looks.

The Camp is slightly bigger than the first one and definitely better equipped than the Checkpoints. He sees showering facilities and actual small houses for catering, along with the tents that he is already familiar with.   
Floodlight illuminates the place and he eventually follows Nico over to the interview area that has been set up, with three chairs and a couple of cameras to film from different angles.

He accepts a bottle of water and an energy bar from a member of the crew and at this point, he’s pretty sure that he won’t enjoy another bite of one of the bars for the rest of his life.

__

“Nico. Lewis.” Fernando says and Nico watches how his gaze wanders back and forth between them.  
“You are the first team to arrive at Camp. How does that feel?” the Spaniard asks and Nico leans back into his chair, too tired to sit up straight.   
The bright floodlight hurts his eyes a bit, so he blinks a few times, while Lewis takes it on himself to answer the question.

“Being in the lead is always a good feeling, man. But it also makes us the guys to beat.”  
“That is surely correct, no?” Fernando says and nods. The former driver’s gaze than drops to some cards with notes that he has placed on his lap and he picks up one of them.

“I prepare some questions. Don’t want this to be boring, no?” Fernando says and Nico raises an eyebrow, sceptical what _that_ is supposed to mean.   
The Spaniard clears his throat and apparently decides for a question.

“Who do you think will cheat to get this win?” Fernando asks and Nico shakes his head in amusement, while he looks over at Lewis, who seems to be a bit confused by the other man’s question.  
“Of the other teams, you mean?”   
“You can name yourself too,” Fernando replies with a grin and Lewis huffs.

“Ricciardo is a cheater,” Nico eventually answers and both Fernando and Lewis turn to look at him.   
“Ricciardo?” the Spaniard asks in surprise and Nico nods.  
“Nico’s right with that,” Lewis says and chuckles lowly, while you can hear the tiredness in his voice, “Dan always cheats on games.”  
“No one ever suspects him, because he’s so cheerful,” Nico comments and Lewis hums in agreement.  
“He’s very cheeky, man,” the Brit tells Fernando, who still looks a bit baffled by their answers.

“Hey, you remember when he tried to cheat at poker that one time?” Nico asks Lewis, leaning over in his seat a little. Lewis snorts and nods, “He dropped all the aces he had hidden in his hoodie.”   
Nico can’t help but quietly laugh at the memory and Lewis’ lips curl up in amusement. Nico likes the sight, leaning back into his own seat, while he feels Fernando’s gaze still wandering back and forth between them.

“Now, that was a surprising answer, no? _Ricciardo_ …” Fernando says, shaking his head, “interesting one.”  
“Well, who did you expect us to name?” Lewis asks and Fernando looks at him.  
“I’m just the one asking the questions here,” he says and Lewis huffs.

“Next question then,” Fernando says and picks up another one of his card.  
When he looks up again, there is amusement sparkling in his dark eyes.   
“If you had to kill another person so survive on their flesh, who would it be?”

Nico almost chokes on the answer, wondering if he misunderstood the Spaniard, and so seems Lewis.  
“ _What_?” the Brit asks, but Fernando simply repeats the question.  
“Who came up with that, man?” Lewis asks incredulously and Fernando shrugs his shoulders.   
“Interviews are always so _boring_ , no?” he says and clears his throat, “so, what’s your answer?”

“You do know I’m vegan, man, right?” Lewis comments and there is disgust written all over his face. Fernando rolls his eyes.   
“Is hypothetically, no?”

Nico looks over at Lewis and he wonders if Fernando expects them to name each other – it’s not like Nico doesn’t know what Lewis tastes like, after all.

“I’d refuse, man. Sorry, but there’s no way that I’m picking someone.”  
Fernando looks almost disappointed at Lewis’ answer when he turns to Nico.  
“And you?”   
“Well, certainly not someone like Max or something. I’ve seen what goes into that body.”

Lewis snorts next to him in disgust and Nico chuckles.   
“Maybe Magnussen. I’ve heard he pays attention to what he eats.”  
“Magnussen is no longer in the race,” Fernando says and Nico shoots him a surprised glance.

“What happened?” Lewis asks and Fernando briefly explains the events of the day to them. Afterwards, he thanks them for their time and lets them get up and to the sanitary rooms.   
  
\--

“Those were some weird-ass questions,” Lewis says and doesn’t know if he should laugh of shake his head. He ends up doing both and Nico just gives him an amused glance.  
“At least something different than the usual stuff,” the German says and Lewis has to give him that.

“You would actually eat Kevin Magnussen?” he then asks the younger one and Nico chuckles.  
“Hypothetically? Sure, why not.”   
Lewis pulls a face and Nico chuckles another time.   
“Why wouldn’t you, hypothetically speaking?”   
Lewis shoots the other man a glance, “I mean, he is kinda handsome but-…”

“He’s _what_?” Nico asks and almost stumbles over his own words, while Lewis watches him from the side. The amusement has vanished from the German’s face within the blink of an eye and Lewis almost has to laugh at the sight. Almost.

__

  
**Day 4, same time, Control Room  
**

* * *

“Now that was a bit of a surprise, wasn’t it?” Jenson asks Toto, while the cameras are still rolling.   
“What exactly? Fernando’s questions?” Toto wants to know from the Brit that is sitting next to him.

“Oh, definitely. But also the fact that Lewis and Nico were almost… friendly with each other,” Jenson says and Toto realizes that the Brit is searching his face for something, as if he thinks that Toto knows something that he does not.  
“If we compare this to the last interview they have at Camp 1, when they were all over each other’s throats, then this is definitely surprising, isn’t it?” the former driver asks and Toto has to agree that he is right with what he says.

He has been pretty surprised by his former duo’s behaviour as well and he can’t help but wander what has happened between the two that they acted like this.  
Because if he isn’t mistaken, Lewis has even laughed about something Nico has said and that hasn’t happened in… forever.  
He frowns at Jenson and eventually shrugs his shoulders.   
He never trusts the peace with his boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that I forgot to upload... too much Uni work going on at the moment. I'll try not to forget about it again, though!
> 
> I've got to say that especially one of Fernando's questions has aged... interestingly, don't you think?


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

**Day 4, 19:55, Team Max & Dan**   
**Position: at Camp #2  
**

* * *

Dan is surprised to see the Spanish world champion at the Camp, but it’s not like he cares much. What he does care about is the bed – or rather, the camping mat – that is waiting for him after not having a proper sleep in two days.   
His body aches for some rest and he knows that he’ll have to push through the interview, whatsoever.   
Max seems to be equally unmotivated but they take their seats in the interview area whatsoever.

Fernando looks at them expectantly, as if he waits for them to tell him about their experiences, but Dan feels like his brain won’t come up with anything without a stimulus. The Spaniard eventually seems to notice that as well and searches his cards for a question.

“What is the hardest thing for you about this race? Do you… miss closeness to someone, for example?”   
“Closeness?” Max immediately asks.   
Fernando nods and smirks, “You know… _closeness_.”

 _Oh boy_ , Dan thinks, who came up with these questions?   
He suddenly misses Toto.

Max, on the other hand, doesn’t really seem to get what Fernando is hinting at.  
“What do you mean?”  
Fernando tries to get his answer across with a suggestive look that he gives Max and the Dutch seems to get what the older one is asking about, eventually.

From the corner of his eye, Dan sees that Max turns towards him for a second, before the younger one coughs quietly.   
“It’s alright,” Max says a bit awkwardly.

Dan can’t tell if Fernando is satisfied with the answer or what he expected Max to say, but the Spaniard doesn’t inquire the subject any further and instead choses a new card with another question.

“If you could change one thing about your teammate in this race, what would it be?” Fernando asks and his eyes are on Daniel now.   
The Aussie looks back at him, before his gaze goes over to Max, who has crossed his arms in front of his chest. The look in his eyes is almost challenging and Dan holds his gaze.

There are many things Dan wants to say, but his throat suddenly feels too tight to get out a single thing. Max, on the other hand, seems to be waiting for him to say something, already preparing to fight it.

__

  
**Day 4, same time, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: at Camp #2  
**

* * *

They have both taken a shower and Lewis feels like a whole new person now that he’s gotten out of his dirty clothes.   
He’s pretty sure that he will fall asleep the second that his head will hit the pillow and he follows Nico into the tent that they are once again sharing.  
It feels a bit less awkward now, maybe because of all the things they have been through in the past 48 hours.   
Thinking back of it now, it seems like all of it happened over a much bigger time span than just two days, for it feels like ages ago that they’ve left Camp #1 to get to the wild-water rafting.   
The night out in the storm in the canyon somehow seems to have altered time, although today’s climbing kind of went by in a blur.

He remembers his arms hurting and he remembers laughing until his ribs hurt, he remembers Nico’s eyes and the laugh on his lips and he remembers being happy.   
It feels stupid thinking about it now, they were dead-tired and completely exhausted, making them believe that things between them could ever be okay again.   
And yet, Lewis can’t help but stop a dumb smile from spreading on his lips when he crawls into the tent after the German.

__

  
“Are you awake?” Lewis asks and Nico almost jumps on his camping mat, turning his head in the direction of the Brit.   
There is no light in the tent, so he can’t see the other man’s face, but he has spoken clear enough for Nico to make out that Lewis is about a metre away from him.

“Yeah,” he mumbles, his voice coming out hoarse.  
“Why?”

Lewis seems to hesitate for a moment.  
“I’ve got something for you,” he eventually says, his voice a bit more quiet this time.   
“For me?” Nico asks in surprise, wondering why they are whispering now.

He hears a shifting noise and suspects that Lewis is nodding in the dark.  
“What is it?” he asks, his confusion growing when the other man doesn’t immediately answer.

He almost jumps again when he suddenly feels Lewis’ hand against his, wondering how Lewis was able to make it out in the dark.  
His heartbeat picks up speed from one second to the other and he turns his head some more, despite knowing that he won’t see anything, anyway.  
“Wh-…” he wants to say, but Lewis’ fingers curl around his and Nico feels how his breath gets caught in his lungs.   
Lewis’ fingers are cool against his, but they are just as soft as he remembers them, and he wants to open his mouth again, but no words come out.

It takes him another second to realize that Lewis has pushed something in his hand, closing Nico’s fingers around the item that he can’t yet identify.   
The Brit draws back his hand and Nico dares to breathe again, feeling out what it is that Lewis has placed in his palm.   
“Is this-…” he starts and he’s pretty sure that his heart has skipped a beat.

“It’s a phone, yes,” Lewis whispers and from the tone of his voice, Nico deducts that he is looking at him right now.   
“You… you…” Nico stutters but he’s actually pretty speechless.

“It’s so you can talk to your daughters. Unfortunately, you can’t make a phone call from here, but you can record something and it will be send to them.”   
“Oh my God,” Nico says, because his brain can’t come up with anything else.

“How did you do that?!”   
Lewis is quiet for a moment and Nico wonders if he is biting his lip.  
“I have my ways,” the Brit eventually says and Nico shakes his head in disbelief.   
“This is against the rules,” he manages to say after a while and Lewis chuckles at that, “you broke the rules for me.”

He hears Lewis breathe in.  
“It’s not the first time I do that, is it.”

__

**Day 4, 20:30, Team Charles & Pierre**   
**Position: at Camp #2  
**

* * *

“Charles,” Fernando says and nods into the direction of the Monégasque.  
“Pierre,” he then adds and gives the Frenchman a look.  
“You’re in a fantastic third place at the moment! Who would have thought after Day 1, no?”

“Hard work pays off,” Pierre comments and the Spaniard nods in agreement.

“I’ve got some questions for you amigos,” Fernando says and picks up one of his card.  
“This one goes to Pierre,” he adds as an explanation, “Pierre, did you expect this performance from Charles?”

The Frenchman instinctively looks over at his best friend at the question and the look on Charles’ face is probably somewhere between amusement and curiosity.  
He can, however, also see the ego of the younger man roaring at the question from the Spaniard.

“I’m very impressed by what Charles managed to do. Especially if you consider the heatstroke and the fact that he went over-board with the raft.”   
“Sí, that looked very dangerous to everyone.”  
“And I think that he’s shown that he’s a fighter,” Pierre says, cracking a smile at his teammate, “it was hard for him to get into the race but he didn’t give up. He pushed through it.”

“He’s used to fighting, given he’s driving a Ferrari, no?” Fernando says and chuckles a little, while Charles sends him a dark glance.

“Whatever. Next question,” the former driver says with his Spanish accent, while he picks up the next card.

“This race has very special circumstances, no? It’s not like an everyday thing. So my question is; does it ever get annoying to spend that much time with the same person? I mean, you even have to take baths in rivers together, no?”

“As often as we’ve seen each other naked…” Charles says and shrugs his shoulders, while Pierre’s gaze snaps up, his cheeks flushing red.   
Charles catches the Frenchman’s glance and a small frown appears between his curved eyebrows.

Fernando clears his throat.

__

  
**Day 4, same time, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: at Camp #2  
**

* * *

Nico is currently recording a voice message, presumably for his daughters, since Lewis has caught their names in the beginning, but Nico is speaking in German, so he doesn’t understand what he is saying.  
He picks up a few words now and then, but the younger man is speaking quietly, either to make sure that Lewis indeed doesn’t catch what he is saying, or because he thinks that he is trying to fall asleep and doesn’t want to wake him up again.

But Lewis listens to Nico’s voice, which is even softer now that he is speaking to his daughters, and even though he doesn’t understand the language, he hears longing in the other man’s tone.   
He can’t imagine what it must be like for Nico to go for so long without seeing his children, but Lewis has people which he misses when he’s away, too.

If giving Nico the opportunity to let his daughters hear his voice is what he can do to ease the German’s pain a little, then that’s what he’ll do.   
It wasn’t a hard decision to make when the opportunity had presented itself, although he must admit that he had been kind of surprised by himself.

Nico eventually finishes the recording and from the noises, Lewis deducts that he has tucked the phone away and is now zipping up his sleeping bag.   
He listens to Nico’s breath, which becomes calmer once he has laid down, and he finds himself falling into the same rhythm with his breathing.

It’s a rhythm that his body seems to remember from a time that feels like a whole life ago to Lewis, but the way his body reacts to Nico’s breathing, calming down immediately, tells him otherwise.   
He remembers nights that he has spent just listening to the younger man’s breath, particularly after bad races or disappointing results.

There is something about Nico’s intake and release of air that is just so… reliable and steady, that it has always managed to calm Lewis down and stop his head from spinning.   
He remembers that the sound had been his anchor when he had felt like drowning in his own thoughts, when the self-doubt had been eminently worse.

He also remembers edging close to Nico when the German had fallen asleep, for Nico would always complain about his body heat but then never mind much to be snuggled up during the night.   
He remembers placing his ear over Nico’s chest, listening not only to his breathing but also to his heartbeat, the mixture creating a melody that had turned into Lewis’ favourite lullaby over the years.

And now that he is listening to Nico’s breath, listening to the way his chest is heaving and sinking in the darkness of their tent, he suddenly feels the urge to listen to the younger man’s heartbeat as well.  
It is a need that is unexpected and almost physically painful in the way that it draws him over to the German, while he is actually just lying flat on his back, with his own breathing becoming shorter.

He craves to press his ear against Nico’s chest again, to let his head sink on his former best friend’s sternum, if only to check that the heart beneath Nico’s ribs is still beating the same rhythm that it beat all these years, all these _nights_ , ago.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

**Day 4, 20:45, Team Lance & Daniil**   
**Position: at Camp #2  
**

* * *

“Fourth place!” Fernando congratulates them and Daniil watches Lance’s big smile from the side. It’s not as wide as Daniel’s is, but it takes up his whole face, though, and Daniil likes the look on him.

“Fourth place!” Lance exclaims and the Canadian turns his head into Daniil’s direction, giving him a smile.

“How are you doing with this race so far?” Fernando asks, looking down at his cards, “do you think this race could destroy some friendships and how are you two coping?”

Daniil can’t help but frown at the question, which he thinks is a bit weird to ask, considering they hadn’t really spoken to each other _ever_ before they had been paired up for the Eco-Challenge.   
But Lance picks up the question, shooting him another glance from the side.

“Oh, it’s definitely challenging I think! For everyone that is in this race. But Dany and I are doing well, I’d say,” the Canadian answers, his eyes still on the Russian.  
“I mean, we didn’t really know each other before, but now I’m really glad we were teamed up.”

Daniil feels how he blushes at the other man’s words. _Canadians_ , the thinks. _Always too kind to everyone_.

“What do you think, Daniil?” Fernando asks, although the Alpha Tauri driver isn’t sure if the Spaniard is actually interested in his answer.   
“Uh,” he starts, twisting his fingers, “this race is extreme. It’s surely hard for friendships.”   
“For you and Lance as well?” Fernando asks and Daniil feels himself blushing once again, wondering if Lance and him are friends at all.  
He looks over at the Canadian a bit helplessly and he finds a kind smile on the younger man’s lips.

“We… we work well together. No drama,” he eventually says and Fernando seems to be satisfied by the answer.

__

**Day 4, same time, Team Charles & Pierre**   
**Position: at Camp #2  
**

* * *

Pierre watches Charles while he gets ready for bed, changing into a fresh shirt and placing his camping mat and sleeping bag.   
The Monégasque then kneels down on his mat and starts fumbling with the knot of his bandana, when he hisses out a French curse.

“My hair is in the knot,” the younger one says and Pierre always loves to hear him speak in their mother tongue, especially after a full day of media-presenting.   
“Laisse moi t'aider avec ça,” Pierre says and Charles turns his head, looking at him over his shoulder. His green eyes reflect the light of the lamp hanging in the tent and Pierre feels drawn in by them.

The Monégasque nods and the older one crawls over to where his best friend is kneeling on his mat, getting on his knees behind him.   
Charles tilts his head a little, so Pierre has better access to the knot, and he reveals his elegant neck by doing so, while he holds up his hair with his hand.

He feels Charles shiver when he gets his hands on the knot, his hands probably cold against the Monégasque’s skin. The younger one tilts his head a little more, revealing more naked skin, and Pierre leans in slowly, until he eventually places a kiss on Charles’ neck, right where his shoulders start.   
Charles shivers some more and he arches his back, while Pierre runs his nose over his friend’s skin, drawing in his fresh scent.   
His lips wander over Charles’ skin and the Monégasque lets out a soft moan when he gently bites down.

“On devrait dormir,” Pierre whispers against his best friend’s neck and it makes him shiver all over again.  
“Non,” Charles says, the single word coming out as more of a moan.   
“ _Non_ ,” the Ferrari driver repeats, sounding a bit breathless.   
“Qu’est-ce que tu veux?” Pierre asks him, blowing cool air over Charles’ skin. He doesn’t get the other man when he’s like this, doesn’t get why he pushes him away so often and then wants to hold him close at others.

“Touche moi,” Charles pants and he arches his back a little more, the two of them still kneeling behind each other. Pierre comes a little closer, until his chest is lined up with Charles’ back, and he places another kiss against Charles’ tilted neck.

“Où?”   
Charles reaches back at the question, searching for Pierre’s hand, and when he has found it, he places it on his own stomach. Pierre smirks against the younger man’s skin, carefully listing the hem of his shirt to slide his fingers under the soft fabric, his fingers touching Charles’ abs.   
The Monégasque leans back into him, the back of his head coming to rest on Pierre’s shoulder, so Pierre has access to Charles’ throat now.   
The younger man has closed his eyes and when Pierre’s fingers keep stroking his flat stomach, teasingly tracing his v-line, Charles’ soft moans turn almost desperate.

“Tu es excite?” Pierre asks and he smirks while nibbling on the sensitive skin of Charles’ throat.  
“Does P3 turn you on?” he asks, in English this time, and Charles lets out a shaky breath.   
“Does _this_ turn you on?” Pierre asks, his fingers ghosting over his lower abdomen.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Charles says and when he opens his eyes, his pupils are blown wide, whilst the green has almost completely vanished.   
“Que tu veux?” Pierre repeats what he has asked before, his voice barely audible in their small tent.

And Charles places his hand on top of Pierre’s guiding it past the hem of his pants and past.   
Charles is completely hard already, but that’s what the Frenchman expected, and he feels his own cock twitch when Charles makes the most obscene sound the second that he wraps his hand around the Monégasque.   
Charles’ hips buck up into the touch and the younger one is leaking pre-cum already, making it possible for Charles to thrust into Pierre’s hand.

“Tu aimes ça?” Pierre whispers against Charles’ throat, brushing his fingers over the tip of the other man’s cock. Charles’ hand reaches back and gets hold of the back of Pierre’s neck, pulling him in closer, while his fingers almost painfully bury in the Frenchman’s hair.   
And Charles keeps bucking up his hips, thrusting into Pierre’s hand around his cock, while Pierre can’t help but rub against the Monégasque’s ass for some friction.

The movement of Charles’ hips becomes faster and the younger one’s breathing flatter, while the grip on Pierre’s hair is still merciless.   
And God, Pierre loves when Charles is like that. When his lust takes over his whole body, when he can’t do anything but give in to Pierre.

The tightens his grip on his best friend’s cock and Charles’ thrusts into it one last time, before he comes with a high-pitched moan that keeps ringing in Pierre’s ears.   
He feels his own cock twitching against Charles’ body and while the younger one is still panting, Charles turns around to him, his eyes fluttering open. His chest is heaving quickly, his gaze wild from the orgasm and Pierre can’t stop staring at him while Charles lowers his head, pushing down Pierre’s pants to take his cock into his mouth without a word.

__

**Day 4, same time, Team Max & Daniel**   
**Position: at Camp #2  
**

* * *

“Did you hear that?” Max asks and he sounds amused, while Dan is already half-asleep.  
“Hear what?”   
“Someone just came,” Max says and Dan is awake in an instant, while Max giggles.

“For real?” the Aussie asks and Max just laughs.  
“Someone’s having sex? After that motherfucker of a climb?”   
“Good stamina?” Max proposes and Dan huffs.   
“But who is it, though?”

Max snorts, “Not Lewis and Nico.”  
“I think Lance and Daniil are here already.”  
“Ew,” Max makes, quickly shaking his head, “God no. I don’t even want to think about that.”  
“So you’d rather think about Lewis and Nico getting it on?” Dan asks and chuckles lowly.

When Max doesn’t answer to this, Dan hides his face away in his sleeping bag and tries not to burst out in laughter.  
He’s as tired as he has rarely been before and he feels a bit drunk. He knows Max is too and that is never a good combination, for Max can barely stop giggling now and Dan feels a laugh bubbling up his throat.  
They’ve been fighting for almost two days straight, for fucks sake. He shouldn’t be here and break into a laughing fit.

__

**Day 4, 21:20, Team Kimi & Sebastian**   
**Position: Camp #2  
**

* * *

Sebastian only realizes that he has been looking forward to the interview all day when he sees that Fernando Alonso is the one doing it today.  
He’s got trouble hiding his disappointment and he’s pretty sure that Kimi catches up on it, but if the Finn notices something, he doesn’t say anything about it.   
One of the things he likes about the older man.

__

**Day 4, same time, Team Alex, Lando & George**   
**Position: at Camp #2  
**

* * *

“Oh, thank God,” George says once they have reached the camp and Alex can only agree. He knows they are in the last place at the moment, but he doesn’t care much about that right now. What he does care about is the fact that despite all odds, they have managed to make it to Camp #2 before the cut off time.

He wraps an arm around Lando’s shoulder and gives him a squeeze.  
“That was amazing, mate,” he says and Lando gives him a happy smile, the one that always makes Alex’s insides tingle.

“I’m proud of you, guys,” George says and Alex sends him a smile.  
“Yeah, as long as we’re together, we can take up pretty much anything,” Alex remarks and tightens his grip on Lando’s shoulder, who leans into the taller man.

“I’m knackered,” the youngest man of the group says and Alex hums in agreement. He can’t remember when he’s felt this exhausted the last time. This Adventure Race truly is something else.

“We should take a shower before heading to bed, though,” George remarks and Lando protests, but Alex just pulls him along into the direction of the washing facilities.   
“You stink, man,” he assures the younger one and Lando rolls his eyes at him.   
“I’m not letting you into our tent like that,” Alex says and Lando flips him off.

__

  
**Day 4, same time, Team Nico & Kevin**   
**Position: at the hospital  
**

* * *

“So… nothing’s broken?” Kevin asks the doctor that has been showing him his x-rays.   
She shakes her head and switches off the light of the light box.  
“You were lucky,” she says and Kevin catches Nico’s gaze, who is sitting in a chair next to his hospital bed.

“You sure he’s not injured? Maybe he has hit his head, you can never really know with him,” the German comments and Kevin shoots him a dark glance.   
The Fijian doctor turns towards the former driver and raises an eyebrow at him.   
“He’s showing no signs of a concussion, but he should rest over the next couple of days.”

“Does that mean we have to stay at the hospital?” Nico asks and Kevin blinks at the _we_ in the German’s sentence.   
The doctor shakes her head, “No. He’s free to go. But if anything feels out of the ordinary over the next days, I’d recommend coming back in for a check up.”   
“Okay,” Kevin says and nods, pretty relived that he won’t have to stay in this bed for much longer.

“Take some rest, Mr. Magnussen,” the doctor says in a firm tone and reaches out to shake Kevin’s hand in goodbye.  
“You’ll get your papers at the desk.”

She shoots Nico a last glance before the leaves the room and closes the door behind her.   
Nico lets out a laugh the second she’s gone.

“It actually worked!”   
Kevin rolls his eyes, “She knows I’m not injured.”  
Nico waves his hands, “Doesn’t matter what she thinks! The producers will just think you got lucky not to hurt yourself. Maybe they’ll even be glad that you won’t press charges against them or something.”

Kevin tilts his head, “Interesting idea. I haven’t even thought of that one yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so it's gotten a bit... heated.
> 
> I'd love to hear what you think + kudos would surely mean a lot.
> 
> All the love,  
> Johanna
> 
> (Also, I've recently been asked quite a few times to write a sequel to the Latesummer in Amsterdam fic and I... would anyone want to read that? Mhh)


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

**Day 4, 21:30, Team Charles & Pierre**   
**Position: At Camp #2  
**

* * *

They’re both still coming down from their orgasms and Pierre feels how his muscles finally relax in the afterglow.   
Charles has switched off the light and he hears the younger one breathing next to him, his arm loosely wrapped around Pierre’s waist.

“So…” he says into the dark and Charles moves against him, “are we… are we ever going to talk about this?”  
“What do you want to talk about?” Charles asks, as if he hasn’t just blown his best friend to an incredible orgasm. Pierre almost has to laugh at that, but he ends up sighing.   
He feels Charles shifting again, pressing closer against his side.

“What we do…” Pierre starts but trails off.  
“Mh?” Charles makes and the Frenchman bites down on his lips.   
“We never talk about this.”  
“Why do you want to talk about it?”

Pierre stares up at the dark ceiling of the tent, “Isn’t that what you do?”   
Charles makes a small sound, one that Pierre can’t interpret.   
“What would it change?” Charles mumbles, his voice slurred by sleepiness.   
Pierre thinks of the younger one’s question for a while.

 _Yeah, what would it change?_ he thinks and then his mind automatically provides all these pictures from parties in Monaco that he either attended with Charles or had to follow through the eyes of social media, when he could never really be sure who Charles would wake up with the morning after.

He also has to think of all the times that he has looked at the younger man without being able to interpret what he was thinking. Does Charles even like him like that?  
In a year, or even ten, will they still be doing this?  
Exchange secret kisses and wordless affection like they are caught in some sort of affair?

There is no reason for all the secrets, for all the silence and the interpretation of said silence, and Pierre bites down hard on the inside of his cheek until it draws blood.

He hates the thought that Charles has other men or other women but what he hates even more is that he doesn’t know. Charles never tells him anything and whenever he’s tried to approach the subject of… exclusivity… the Monégasque will just brush it off and change the topic.  
And then Pierre ends up feeling ridiculous for thinking he’s got the right to want Charles all to himself.

But it’s just not fair, is it?  
That Charles belongs to the world while Pierre undeniably, quite definitely, belongs to no other than him.

“I just wish… I just wish you were mine in the way that I’m yours,” he eventually whispers under his breath.  
It is only that when Charles doesn’t respond that he notices that the younger man must have fallen asleep.

**__**

**Day 5, 02:30, Control Room  
**

* * *

“It’s officially our fifth day of racing and our lead team Hamilton-Rosberg is currently leaving Camp #2 for the third stage of this Adventure Race in Fiji!” Jenson Button explains to the spectators behind the camera.   
“The way to Checkpoint 1 is once again a mountain biking leg.”  
Christian chimes in, pushing past Jenson, “I think we all remember that the Mercedes duo had some… differences… when they were biking the last time.”

Toto rolls his eyes at how smug Christian sounds.  
“You know, Christian, from what we’ve seen over the last two days, I wouldn’t count your guys as the most harmonic duo at the moment either.”

Christian shoots him a dark glance and Toto feels some satisfaction from pissing the Red Bull boss off. He thinks it is a bit funny, though, that Christian is rooting so hard for Max and Daniel, while another one of his drivers is still in the race as well, but then again, that seems to fit the Red Bull team’s mentality quite well.

“What does the third stage of this Eco Challenge hold for us?” Christian asks, changing the topic, while he turns back to Jenson.

The Brit has prepared himself for the question and he steps closer to the screen that now shows the islands of Fiji and a track that’s highlighted in different colours.  
“So, to reach the first Checkpoint, it is mountain biking again, as I’ve said,” his fingers ghost over the screen, showing the route from Camp #2 to the next checkpoint, “and after the first checkpoint, a bamboo maze waits for the drivers.”  
“Oh, a labyrinth? That will surely be interesting.”

Jenson nods at the fellow Brit’s comment.  
“Yes, and it will also be hard to predict how long the teams will take to make it through. Visual thinking will be key here.”  
“Teams could either be really lucky and make it through quickly, or they could lose a _massive_ amount of time,” Toto comments, hoping that his boys will do well and defend their lead in the race.

“That’s right for sure,” Jenson says, “of course we sent in some crew members to test how long it approximately takes to find the way out, but their times differed quite drastically.”  
Christian chuckles at that, “So we might be up for some big surprises.”  
“Yes, this is definitely a chance for teams to catch up with the lead teams. Although we’ve got to admit that all teams are pretty close right now, anyway, due to the stopped race two days ago. Normally, time differences up to 24 hours are nothing out of the usual for adventure races.”

“So what’s waiting after the bamboo maze and Checkpoint 2?”  
  
_______

“That sounds exciting as well.”  
“For sure, yes. I think it’s safe to say that the upcoming 48 hours are once again testing our drivers’ limits.”  
“And this time, it will definitely be a bit harder to make the cut off time,” Toto adds for consideration, “especially if a team was to lose a lot of time in the labyrinth.”

__

  
**Day 5, same time, Team Lewis & Nico**   
**Position: on the way to Checkpoint #1  
**

* * *

This time, Lewis has made to sure get ahead of Nico with his bike, still remembering too well how the German had driven him nuts by driving in front of him, which had eventually ended in him slipping with his bike.

He can tell that Nico is battling with himself whether or not to make a snarky comment about it but the younger one seems to decide against it in the end and Lewis is glad he does.   
Nico still seems to be in a good mood and he can’t help but think that it’s because he has gotten the chance to record a message for his daughters. And since Lewis has been responsible for that, Nico has apparently decided to be nice to him today.

Biking in the dark is difficult enough in itself, but _mountain_ biking with basically no light except for their head torches is something else.   
The ground underneath their wheels is still sodden due to the heavy rainfall on the previous days, which means that they are getting ahead slower than expected.   
The map has told them that the route to the next Checkpoint is about 20 km long, which wouldn’t be a hard task on flat terrain, but with these current conditions, Lewis estimates that it will take them at least until the morning to get there.

That he’s gotten some proper rest tonight definitely helps and he feels like his body slowly adjust to waking up in the middle of the night and with the jetlag that he has never really gotten over since they’ve arrived in Fiji, the hour of the day doesn’t seem to matter that much, anyway.

And he tells himself to keep pushing as hard as he can, because he wants to win this.   
He really wants to, not just because he’s a competitive person who always wants to win the races he’s in, but because the charity cause of this Eco-Challenge means a lot to him.  
And he knows that there are people rooting for him, kids that look like him and never have anyone to look up to on TV, so he wants to give everything he can, for them, and for his inner critic that still tells him he’s not good enough to make it.

He wants to be the role model that he has never had, the superhero to identify with that he had craved as a little boy.   
He’s aware that he is in that position now, in that role that allows him to inspire others, and it brings a responsibility that goes beyond just wanting to win this race for himself.

And he also knows that there are so many people that expect him to lose this Adventure Race because of the rivalry he has shared with Nico.  
It’s not like he can blame them, for if he thinks of a reason that could cost them this win, it is definitely their shared history.  
But it’s not like the people out there know about any of that.

Sure, they know about icy press conference and about caps being thrown at each other in podium rooms, but apart from that, they don’t know nothing at all.   
He has never let anyone see it and Nico hasn’t either.  
The only thing Nico lets the world see is that version of himself that he considers presentable.   
Is the family, the husband, the driver that thinks of as fit-to-be-seen.

He feels how the easiness he has felt around the German starts to be replaced by bitterness again, as if he’s been drunk yesterday and it now confronted with the harsh reality again.

But it’s so easy to believe in Nico when he’s laughing, when his green eyes focus on nothing but Lewis, and the sound of his voice makes everything sound so simple.

But there are words that Nico’s said that Lewis won’t forget until his very last day and he still doesn’t know if he can forgive the German for all the promises he’s made despite knowing that he would not be able to live up to them.   
And then again he wonders if it is necessary to forgive Nico.

__

  
**Day 5, 04:00, Team Dan & Max**   
**Position: on the way to Checkpoint #1  
**

* * *

Dan feels like a whole new person after having gotten the chance to take a shower and fuel up with sleep. And he has always liked mountain biking, it’s just his thing, and it lightens his mood significantly.

He even feels like he’s not as pissed at Max anymore, because after all, he’s lived with the issue of Max and his dad for years now. Why get all worked up over it now?  
It will just ruin his days in Fiji and he’s definitely got better things to do than trying to talk some sense into the younger man, doesn’t he?

But the thing is, Max knows him.  
They know each other inside out, know each other so well that he is simply sure that Max knows exactly what is going on on his mind right now, which means that another clash is just inevitable at this point.

Dan shakes his head, trying to get rid of the thoughts that are creeping up once again.   
He’s here, in this tropical paradise, to enjoy this unique experience, not have a breakdown over fucking Jos Verstappen.  
Hasn’t the guy done enough harm already?  
The last thing he needs is for him to ruin this race for them as well.

May if he’ll just find better words… if he comes up with better examples… he will be able to make Max understand how much easier his life could be if he allowed himself to see the truth that he’s trying so hard not to look at.  
Because Dan, on the other hand, knows Max well enough to know that the Dutchman is struggling with all of this.   
Max isn’t dumb, a part of him knows that his dad shouldn’t be allowed to hurt him in the way he does.  
But Max is also Jos’ son and his father is doing everything in his power to keep reminding him of that.


End file.
